


Moi Podsolnechnik

by greenleafin



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alfred is literally an angel sent from heaven and is everything good with this world, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Arranged Marriage, Ivan tries his best, M/M, Prince Alfred, alfred and ivan are so in love it's gross to pretty much everyone else, diplomatic au, everything in this is kinda made up as i chose so yannow, kingdom au, no one is the actual countries, prince ivan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-02
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-05-17 18:11:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 64,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5880730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenleafin/pseuds/greenleafin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seeking to unite two kingdoms, a young prince is offered as marital tribute, accepted, and sent away from the only home he has ever known. His spouse-to-be, a known brute, struggles to accept the fact that he must now care for another human being.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> moi podsolnechnik=my sunflower
> 
> OKAY so um, this is my first fic that i've felt comfortable posting in a couple years so i might be a bit rusty. if anyone has any questions/comments/concerns please feel free to tell me! i have no idea how long this is going to be, but for now i know that there will be a few chapters of a build up before Alfred and Ivan even meet so ummm. yeah! thanks for readin! 
> 
> also if you would like to be a proof-reader/critiquer for each chapter, please let me know and your help will be greatly appreciated!
> 
> (EDITED NOTES 1/29/18)
> 
> i've taken it upon myself to edit the chapters of this fic to fix spelling errors, character inconsistencies, writing styles, and just generally make the work a bit nicer to read haha. i'd like to think i've become a better writer in the almost 2 years since i started this fic. i won't change too much though! plot and stuff will still be the same, but don't be alarmed if you come back to this suddenly and some stuff is different!

Cattingstun, 1342

 

_Calmly, oh so calmly and carefully, the young child managed to cup his hands around a butterfly without disturbing it. His younger brother stared, mouth and eyes opened wide and immediately his face broke out into a grin. His older sibling’s own expression quickly imitated his and he opened his hands, letting the creature fly away again as it chose. The pair marveled at how the bright blue colored insect flitted about the room for a moment, before finally flying out the open window and outside their castle's walls._

_The younger boy sighed contentedly and the two shared a long while of silence that was normally unheard of. Though this was more specifically on the younger boy's affinity for speech and action. The late evening sun quickly faded into a black, starry sky with the moon hung high. The older of the two patted the other’s back, signaling that it was time for them to rest for the night. With only a minimal amount of whining, the younger child allowed his brother to help him into bed before leaving the room to go to his own._

_The two were inseparable nearly every moment since the younger child had been born. Much to their parents' relief, they rarely fought._

_However, both boys were unaware of their kingdom's growing financial instability, as their parents shielded them from anything bad that happened within their country, or outside of it. The pair had never known war, never known what it was to be afraid for their futures, and their parents wanted to keep it that way for as long as was possible._

_And so their days were spent running around the castle, both humoring and exasperating everyone who worked there. Life was simple for them, wonderful, joyful._

 

\------------------------------------------

Cattingstun, 1360

 

Hearing the shouting behind them, the blonde pushed his legs faster, although it wasn't fear that drove him to keep running. Rather, he was more breathless from his manic laughter than sprinting. His pursuer wasn't quite as overjoyed as he however, and that is what kept him fleeing.

Although, as soon as his foot caught on an oversized rug and he went sprawling, he couldn't help but think _of course, only me_ even as he landed, rubbing his bared skin of his forearms just harshly enough to leave angry red marks.

This clumsy maneuver gave his brother enough time to catch up to him and when he reached the younger boy, he glared down at him, and hissed "He _kissed_ me."

"I didn't think he would actually fall for-"

"He put his hands on my ass, Alfred!"

He couldn't help it, he burst into laughter once more, and while Matthew was—only very mildly—infuriated, he couldn't help but to admit that Alfred's prank was a little humorous. Only a little, and only if it hadn’t been _him_ that paid the price of his trickery. Managing to convince his own lover that Alfred was actually his brother, and sending the sweet, but bumbling, idiot on his way took a certain amount of skill. A skill that was to be partly admired, partly feared.

Matthew held out his hand to drag Alfred back to his feet, and the offer was accepted graciously. Alfred bounced back up with a spring, and Matthew fixed him with a half-hearted glare. "I still cannot believe you did that."

A large, toothy smile lit up Alfred’s face, and Matthew rumpled his younger brother's hair. At Matthew's rather abrasive suggestion following the assault on top his scalp, Alfred set off to find his—most definitely very confused—beau and apologize. Although the notion that he had managed to so easily convince him of his alternate identity disturbed him a tad. After a bit of conversation, and a reassured ‘No I don't hate you for confusing my brother and I,’ the boy left for his own home and Alfred once again desired to seek out his brother's company. With a rather undignified and quiet, "I look nothing like Matthew," he began wandering the bottommost floor of the castle.

The other of the two was much quieter, and infinitely more mild mannered, as well as an assortment of other differences. Aside from Alfred’s occasional antics that proved to be too taxing, the two normally got along better than anyone.

"Everything go smoothly?"

The words, spoken behind Alfred made the younger brother jump and whirl around, pointing accusingly. "After twenty-five years you would think I’d learn not to be scared of that trick."

Matthew shook his head before muttering, "It’s not a trick, you just weren't paying attention, Al."

Alfred shook his head and finally answered his brother's question with a light affirmation that the couple were now fine again. As they walked quietly for a moment, Alfred bumped his brother's shoulder. "I heard that there's going to be some...'news' tonight at dinner. Did you finally do something wrong?" The question was asked with a cocky grin, but the older of the two simply raised a brow.

"No. I would say it was you, but that's hardly news." Alfred snorted in response as he continued. "I don't have a clue as to what it's about though. It didn’t seem like it’ll be anything good. I wouldn’t be surprised if we are asked to sell another round of our belongings."

Now, at this Alfred finally frowned. He didn't mind having to give up a number of his things, Gods knew he had enough to keep him happy for the remainder of his days. It was the reason behind it that bothered him so.

As history—as well as their parents—had taught him, the last war his country had fought in nearly bankrupted them, and as a result many merchants in their biggest cities had to close down. So many had closed in fact that trade in Cattingstun had nearly come to a screeching halt. With no revenue, no goods, and most importantly, a decreased food supply, it was no secret that their country was struggling. From the time Alfred was thirteen, and Matthew fifteen, once a year they had to collect a good amount of valuables, and send them to the nearest country to be sold. Doing this was enough to keep the castle's staff employed, Alfred's family comfortable, and a decent amount of those struggling most in their country alive.

"I guess we’re going to find out later, huh?"

The older of the two looked down at the younger, nodding slowly, and the small, hopeful smile that had been on Alfred's face faded as they continued to walk.

There was nowhere in particular that the two were traveling, however Alfred felt an inexplicable need to soak in everything about the castle that he could. A small, nagging fear that they would have to move out of the palace insisted it be made known in back of Alfred’s mnd. The fact that Matthew seemed so worried about it—though neither of the siblings were much good at hiding their feelings—made Alfred more nervous.

The way the sun shone through the hallway, open on one side to the expansive garden, the other side mostly wall with an occasional doorway, all without a door to fill the space. Wind lightly breezed through the hallway, sweeping around and up to cool the large building. Alfred’s hair lifted and fell with it. The red color of the clay and mud brick the architecture was made of contrasted with the incredible green of grass and multicolored flowers just to their right.

Alfred stopped and moved to the beginning of the gardenscape. He crouched, his golden chains jingling musically, to gaze at a butterfly perched on a flower. Matthew stopped with him, though Alfred neither asked, nor discouraged him from doing so. Instead, Matthew lowered himself next to him, reaching out slowly towards the insect. The thing was not the bright blue color they recalled from a similar experience in their youth, but rather a calming yellow. It was smaller, but Alfred found it still just as beautiful.

Neither of the boys dared to breathe as Matthew finally brought his finger under the butterfly, and the winged creature slowly climbed onto the offered digit. The younger boy let out a small puff of astonishment.

Matthew looked at his brother, smiling gently, as he blew gently on the small affirmation of summer to send it fluttering away.

"It's time for dinner, Alfred."

With a little help up, Alfred continued walking with his brother, keeping his eyes on the garden until they finally were surrounded by walls on each side of them.

He noted the large wrinkles of the woman who was always so kind and dear to him and his brother. She used to call them over quietly, hand them each a sweet roll before dinner and wink before shooing them away. She had stopped as soon as excessive sweets had stopped being produced, but she always had a kiss on the cheek for them when they needed it most, or perhaps a kind word. Even a bit of advice for them such as "Alfred, put on a tunic," or "Alfred, please stop playing so close to the window." Alfred smiled as he realized that her 'advice' was mostly just her gently scolding him. And truly only him, Matthew had always been better behaved.

They passed the man who Alfred had never heard speak in his life and whom was also missing a hand, but always managed to keep Alfred and Matthew—mostly Alfred, _only_ Alfred—from getting hurt.

Alfred felt his brother pat his shoulder affectionately before they stepped into the dining hall, and then at once he felt his breath hitch.

His father was arguing quietly with his mother, who looked to be near tears. He immediately wanted to ask what was going on, as it was not often that his parents disagreed to such an extent. However he refrained himself upon seeing unfamiliar faces at the expansive dinner table. Pale, dark-eyed, emotionless faces. Usually it was only the staff of the castle, minus the kitchen workers, who ate dinner at the table. Food staff were allowed to eat whenever they chose. But these men...Alfred had never seen them before, though he tried hard to recall even the tiniest bit of information that could lead to their identity.

When he whipped around to face his brother, he saw that Matthew was equally as confused as himself, though at the very least he seemed less panicked by it. Matthew wasn’t one to rely as heavily on gut reflexes.

Well, if Matthew wasn't afraid, then surely there was no reason for Alfred to be, right? Alfred coughed pathetically and everyone at the table, including his parents, turned to look at the brothers. His father let out a soft, "Alfred..." before one of the strange men stood up, walking towards the boys.

"Now, you leave him alone!" His father cried out, but the tall stranger said nothing, simply continued to approach. Alfred took a step backwards, then another until Matthew grabbed his hand, their father calling, "It's going to be alright, he's not going to hurt you!" to them. Despite his reassurances, the younger boy felt his throat tighten and he took yet another step back, this time stumbling and nearly taking his brother with him to the ground, if not for the strangers hand on his arm, pulling him upright.

The hand wasn't rough at all. On the contrary, it was surprisingly gentle. Matthew took one of Alfred's arms and looped it through his, never taking his eyes off the stranger.

Up-close, Alfred could tell the man had a scar starting just above his right eyebrow, ending under his his nostril on the same side. A dark beard covered much of the man's face. Dark brown, nearly black eyes were half-covered by a heavy lid. His short hair was also black, and though Alfred wanted to distrust him—Matthew and his parents were constantly telling him he was too naive—there was a calm nature about the man. He blamed this man's nature on the fact that he let the large beast of a person grip his chin, though Matthew flinched and opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something.

"This is him, yes? What adorable, ah...Spots. Freckles is the word?"

The man's voice was heavily accented, though Alfred couldn't quite recognize where he had heard it before. His mother confirmed that it was Alfred, yes, and the man turned Alfred's head first one way, then the other. The younger boy furrowed his brow, but for once didn't have anything to say.

He took a step back from the brothers, and Alfred noticed that he truly...truly was ginormous. Gigantic in the sense that never in his life had Alfred seen a man as tall and as broad as he. At least three hundred pounds of solid muscle, and about six feet, ten inches tall. Though he really would not be surprised if the man told him he was seven feet in height. Alfred also noticed that the man's eyes were roaming down his body, albeit not in a lustful way. It unnerved him still. For the first time in his life, the blonde boy wished he wore a tunic instead of his usual all-too-showy silks. Wished he dressed like his "prude" Matthew. Not a moment too soon, he realized that the large man was speaking.

"He will do. Pack your things boy, we leave immediately."

Alfred squeaked and Matthew moved himself in-between his brother and the man, their parents shouting in the background.

The man put up a hand and smiled calmly at everyone, as if he had not just upset a room full of people. "It was joke, do not worry, I will not kidnap him." He let out a rumble of a laugh, and the few companions he had chuckled with him.

They spoke in a language Alfred did not know, and it was only then that he realized that these men were from Vil Nirikt.

 _Oh no_.

"My name," the man was addressing both of the boys before him, "Is Anatoliy. But you, little one," and this time it was just to Alfred. "May call me Tolik." He winked, and Alfred let out a tiny breath of a laugh.

Soon after everyone had calmed down, and Matthew had finally relaxed from being prepared to-try to-rip the much larger man apart, Alfred's father motioned for everyone to sit.

As always, the brothers sat immediately next to each other, Matthew patting the younger's back, trying to smile reassuringly, but Alfred couldn't think beyond trying to not let the rest of the men from Vil Nirikt see how shaken he was. Despite wanting to tear up, he bit his lip and held back. He could hear the men whispering in their language loud enough to hear, but he couldn't make sense of it until Matthew began whispering a translation back so that only Alfred could hear. "They're saying that...You would make a good bride for someone named 'Ivan.' And..." Matthew blushed while turning away slightly and Alfred bit his lip harder. Matthew put his hand over Alfred's as their king began talking.

"As..." A clearing of his throat. "As we all know, Vil Nirikt has been exponentially helpful with rebuilding our country after the last war. They have lent us manpower, money, resources, and so much more. Truly, they are our closest allies. As such, we..." He looked very pointedly, and very painfully at Alfred.

Alfred swallowed thickly.

"We have decided that to begin repaying them, we shall offer one of our son's hands in marriage...At the end of this season, Alfred, as well as the rest of us, will travel to their country and a wedding will take place. After that, Alfred will stay there for half the year, and then he and his future husband—Ivan Braginski—will travel to here for the rest of the year. It will presumably continue like that for the rest of your lives."

Matthew, rather uncharacteristically, began yelling and Alfred slowly, very slowly rose out of his seat. He looked at his father and mother, swept his eyes over to the visiting men, and collapsed.   



	2. Chapter 2

Vil Nirikt, 1346

 

_ "Boy," his father hissed sharply.  _

_ A small head bobbed up quickly, rampant internal emotions threatened to make themselves external as well. That wouldn’t be good for him at all.  _

_ Before him, a man on his knees, hands chained behind his back, muttering apology after apology and begging to be spared. The young man could not even begin to stand this pathetic sight, but there was nothing he could do. This quivering man had tried stealing from their family, the  _ royal _ family no less. In his country stealing could, and usually would, be met with death, as it was seen as one of the most deplorable crimes. He had had each rule and law of his country drilled into his head since infancy. He knew what was expected of him, and knew the punishments of each misdeed.  _

_ Yet he was so very conflicted. This man, the boy knew him well. He had worked for his family almost as long as he himself had been alive. He had a wife and a teenaged son. The silver cutlery that the man had tried to swipe had no doubt been meant to provide a little more food on the table for his family, maybe even new clothing, books to give hiss on an education. He would never get that chance though, as the boy's father was already rising out his truly magnificent throne, taking large strides towards the man, and subsequently, his son.  _

_ "You," the large man pointed a finger at the kneeling one, "may either accept your death with honor, and spare your family. Or you can continue to beg and shake and piss yourself and we shall send them to hell with you. It is your choice."  _

_ The threat had its desired effect, and with a final shudder and sob, the man snapped his mouth shut, the only sounds coming out of him were the terrified puffs of air struggling to escape his clogged nostrils. It was disgusting. The boy's father nodded approvingly before turning to his son.  _

_ "You will be the one killing him."  _

_ The child opened his mouth to protest, but he knew it would be futile. The offending man was grabbed by his arms and dragged outside, hollering all the while. This display was followed by the king, his wife, and their son moving towards the courtyard. There were no doubt others who accompanied them out, but the boy was too numb to truly take in his surroundings. There would be no arguing with his father once he gave an order. The last time he had tried earned him a slap so hard it formed a bruise that lasted nearly a week. There would be no convincing him, no changing his mind. But surely,  _ surely _ his mother would ask his father to hold off on this practice. He was only fourteen years of age after all. Once they neared the raised platform with a dark-hooded man, wooden block, and basket in front however, his mother's cold look told him everything that he had needed to know.  _

_ She was not going to speak on his behalf. She most likely did not care about the turmoil he faced at all. It was stupid to think that she would.  _

_ He was going to have to kill the man who had helped raise him.  _

_ After the man’s hands were tied to each side of the block, and his head secured down, the child was forced onto the stage and handed a sword. "One quick stroke to the neck, boy" was all the advice his father had to give.  _

_ He took a long, shuddering breath and slowly raised the sword above his head. Instead of watching the sword go through as he brought his arms down, he shut his eyes tightly, and lodged the blade in the back of the man's neck.  _

 

 

\------------------------------------------

Vil Nirikt, 1360

 

 

Through the years, the child had grown into a man that had gotten considerably better at executing people from his first attempt. In his youth, he’d had to un-stick the sword from the man's neck, and give it another chop before it was severed. His father had patted him on the back. His mother had nodded in approval. 

Since then, it took only one stroke. 

Now—at a much less tender twenty-eight years of age—he was to execute a man who had murdered his wife and young son. The criminal claimed that it was because they were in debt, and that the men who had loaned him money were going to do much worse, but the fact of the matter was that he had killed his family. And now Ivan was going to kill him. Justice would be served through Ivan’s hands, or so he was told. It mattered little to him. 

Truthfully, Ivan thought as he waited, fourteen had been a bit late to give his first execution. His father was only twelve when he completed his first. He examined his nails with a small frown, knowing he'd have to make sure to get the dirt out from under them before dinner, else his mother and elder sister would scold him. Not only were they unclean, they were getting to be a bit long as well. If not cut properly soon, his father would yell at him for being too much of a lady to be his only son. Ivan sighed, finally turning his attention to the man being forced onto the platform with him. 

It was possible that Ivan was told this man's name at some point, but now he certainly was unaware of it. The man—naturally—was still pleading for his life. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for these events, but Ivan raised an eyebrow and one word came to mind— _ pathetic _ . If you were going to die, and oh he  _ was _ , then you might as well face it with dignity. Why would you want your last words to be so meaningless? He suppressed a shrug at his own thoughts. He just did as he was ordered by his father. Usually his younger sister, Natalya, handled these executions, but she was busy today, much to her disdain. She did seem to enjoy carrying out these punishments. His older sister, Yekaterina, was never suited for this type of chore, she was much too emotional and caring, despite their parent’s obvious disapproval. Ivan was simply ambivalent. 

Natalya was a particularly cruel creature who found herself obsessed with Ivan from a young age. When they were small children, the boy found every way that he could to be rid of her company, but she just kept coming back to incentivize him further to madness. After a while he learned how to ignore her, and she seemed to accept her place for the most part. It was not that Ivan hated his little sister, quite the opposite actually, but he could not stand to be around her. She was clingy, prone to jealousy and hate, and was a nuisance overall, however she was still his sister. Still his family.

Yekaterina, who usually insisted on her siblings calling her "Katyusha," was the heir to their country's throne, and entirely too nice of a woman. She was meek and sympathetic, making herself emotionally weak and vulnerable. Ivan favored her over everyone else in their family astronomically. Although their parents referred to her as "fragile," Katyusha was strong and capable in her own way. She was always calm under pressure, and often made decisions that relied on logic. She could give the order of an execution, such as she had in this case, but she would never be able to carry it out herself. She often told Ivan when they were children that true authority could only truly be carried out if feelings were not in the way. Ivan supposed that since Katyusha was at least able to carry out her job that their parents did not simply pass the crown onto Ivan himself. Were such a thing to happen, he would be at a complete loss, as he had never wanted to be king. Yekaterina had the patience and incredible knowledge of court politics, Ivan did not. No, he was satisfied in the position he was at—power, without the responsibility. 

The last rights were read to the man, and Ivan finally brought the sharpened blade down upon the man, separating his head from his shoulders cleanly. Ivan handed the weapon off to an attendee and set off to clean himself and change clothing. 

During such "work" he only wore breeches and a tunic shirt. Better to keep his formal clothes tidy and unstained with the blood of fools. 

He reached the bathhouse that was connected to his room only to find that there were only a few flecks of blood on his shirt and chin, an easy clean. Ivan stripped himself of his clothing before padding over to the steaming water, hissing a sigh of relief when his muscles instantly began to relax in the bath. He stayed in there for what was perhaps far too long, as he smirked gently at his pruned fingers. Quickly scrubbing himself, and washing out his hair, he exited the bathhouse, dripping all over until he located his robe. The sun that shone through his windows told him the afternoon was still young. 

Dinner never served until sunset anyway, so to his great relief, he had time to lay down and rest. 

Fighting sleep in favor of reading turned out to be harder than he expected, and Ivan eventually fell asleep for a few hours with his book by his head. When he woke, it was almost time for him to begin worrying about heading to the dining room. 

Instead of taking his time like he would normally like to, the silver haired man quickly threw on his pants, tunic and boots. He twisted his scarf around his throat, and as a last thought, shrugged on a light fur coat. His sisters would undoubtedly be there before he arrived. The king had announced at breakfast that there would be great news shared at dinner. Ivan muttered to himself that perhaps it would’ve behooved his father to simply share the news then. Nevertheless, his interest was piqued and he hurried off to dinner. 

As expected, he arrived after Katyusha had already made herself comfortable before he entered through the door. However, he noted he was there before Natalia. It was the small victories that mattered. 

Ivan nodded in greeting to his sister while he took his place, and she smiled kindly at him. 

A quick look around the table alerted him to the fact that there were two rather tanned guests. One man, one woman, and Ivan would put money on the fact that they were from one of the southern countries. Neither of them said anything to him, nor did they did not turn their eyes away when they were caught staring. Ivan darkened his gaze, and finally they turned their attentions elsewhere. 

After another beat, Ivan finally slid into his plush chair. His father and mother were speaking quietly to each other at the head of the table, casting quick glances to the doorway. It seemed as though they were waiting for Natalya, and with a sigh of resignation, Ivan brought out the knife that was tucked into his boot and began cutting at his nails below the table. He didn’t care about the mess as someone would clean it up later regardless. Katyusha quietly whispered for him to be careful that he was not caught. He ignored her, and was long done with his last nail when his younger sister finally burst into the room, eyes seeking for her brother as she usually did. Ivan turned his as far skyward as they would go and kept his groan inward. 

She sat down next to him, and Katyusha took her place at his other side. Their mother sat across from her children at the large stone table, mouth set with her lips pursed, as always. 

It wasn't that she was a horrid bitch it was just that...she was a horrid bitch. Her son respected her enough though, it was hard not to. 

All totaled, there were seven people at their table, which was precisely two more than the man was used to. Even if someone had never attended one of their meals, it was incredibly easy to see who the two odd ones out were. In all his life, he could count on his two hands the amount of times he had seen guests at their table. Normally he either was not invited to his family's dinner parties, or he did not care to go. Even then, few people even wanted to travel to Vil Nirikt unless there were important matters. No one visited for  _ leisure.  _

Which is why seeing the bronze skinned man and woman at his table had him setting his jaw, and gripping his knees in anticipation. 

Ivan's father was a large man, whose presence demanded attention. His son took after him much the same way, although he preferred the attention not fall on him unless he called for it. Though Ivan didn’t look up, he could hear the movement across from him. The way Natalya and Katyusha immediately closed their mouths with an audible  _ click  _ was clue enough that their father was ready to speak. 

Finally, the youngest man in the room shifted his violet eyes to the visitors. Their manner of dress was much less conservative than anyone from this area of the world’s. Their attention was trained on his king father’s form, and Ivan finally allowed himself to do the same. 

"Children," with a sweep of his arm, the man motioned to his three seated offspring. "Friends," another sweep of his arm, though this time directed to the foreigners. "My queen," and with a final exaggerated movement he rested a large hand on his wife's shoulder. One could say what they would about his father, but there was no doubt that he did love his wife dearly. Whether or not she felt the same was debatable, but to her credit she did tolerate him at the very least. 

The kitchen workers and other staff ceased their activities and stood behind those seated at the table. They were silent and remained so as Ivan’s father went on. 

"For many long years, our country has supported the kingdom of Cattingstun in numerous ways. In return, they offer us support of their military, they offer us what they can, and we are thankful to have them as allies." His voice, no matter the volume, always had a brassiness to it that made the sound reverberate in your chest. The king took a breath to nod at the two visitors, and Ivan commended himself for being right about their origin. After the short pause, his father continued. "Now they offer us something new. Something that would solidify the peace and prosperity between our nations for—God willing—many, many years to come.” 

Ivan could have screamed over the unnecessarily long pause. He wanted to obtusely ask  _ well, what did they offer us?  _ Yet he knew to be patient. 

This composure rewarded him, and after a—probably forced—smile, Ivan’s father finally revealed exactly what Cattingstun had decided to gift their country that seemed to be so marvelous that this grandeur had been rolled out for only two guests. 

The king still had his smile on his face as he accounced, “They offer us their second son's hand in marriage." 

_ Wonderful, Katyusha has always wanted to get married. So what if it is arranged?  _ Ivan had had his arms crossed and was slumped in his seat, though at this news he pulled himself up and offered a bob of his head to his sister. 

"Ivan, come the end of the season after this you will be wed to Alfred of Cattingstun." 

There was a very brief blackness that overcame his mind in which he had no control over his actions. During this time he stood up, sending his chair backwards with a loud screech against the stone flooring and nearly yelled, "What?" 

At his mother's silent glance, the man lowered his tone, but it could still be considered a hiss. "You’re marrying  _ me _ off? What of Katyusha? Or Natalya!" 

"You will be silent, boy," his father boomed. The vibrations in his chest were almost painful, the architecture of the hall only serving to amplify his words. "The Stunnish prince seems to prefer the company of men, as do you. This arrangement made the most sense, and the negotiations are over. This decision is final. Now you will do well to stay your tongue and mind your manners." 

Katyusha gently guided Ivan back to his seat by his elbow, and Ivan subconsciously noticed Natalya tense up, ready to begin defending him if the situation called for it. It would do no good though, especially since their father's mind had been long made up. He stiffly returned to his earlier posture. Though how his nails dug into his biceps, and he began to bounce his right knee. Slowly at first, but it soon became noticeable as the movement shook his entire body. Any other occasion he would be reprimanded for the action, though it seemed his parents decided to be merciful. Not long after his outburst, dinner was served. Ivan stared down at his platter, and found he didn’t have much of an appetite. Their guests from Cattingstun spoke quietly with the king and queen, not once bothering to do more than openly stare at the enraged prince. 

Finally, the meal was over and Ivan stood up to leave. As he turned and began walking away, his father called after him in that loud voice of his. 

"Not a single bad thing is to befall that boy, Ivan. You  _ will _ take care of him." 

Ivan said nothing, only continued to storm out of the hall, taking great pains to slam every door he went through behind himself. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ivan did not have a happy childhood haha 
> 
> if anyone has any questions/comments/concerns let me know! if you see any spelling/grammar error feel free to let me know about that too!
> 
> also if anyone is interested in proofreading each chapter (or any chapter) before it goes up, just tell me and we can work something out! any help would be much appreciated. 
> 
> thank you for reading!
> 
> (EDITED NOTES 2/4/18)
> 
> hey! finished the 2nd chap's edits, and will commence changes for the 3rd chap. it's such a relief to be doing this and find out that i didn't hate as much as i thought i did lol. again, no major plot changes will occur! just grammar, writing style, and some other things that i feel are necessary will be different if you read this before. also as an update, I REALLY DO PLAN ON CONTINUING THIS FIC! i really want to get all the edits done first though to make sure everything flows well, and then ill start writing a new chapter soon! 
> 
> fun fact, i have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/maxalackin) if you're into that kinda thing. feel free to follow or message or anything else. chances are ill follow back bc i love mutuals lol. i also have a [tumblr!](http://whillowed.tumblr.com/) i don't do much there but reblog stuff and post links to the new chapters, but ill happily answer any asks i receive, or anything else that u guys want. OKAY the notes r super long now so sorry about that, but seeya later!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm currently working on a tumblr post to explain better the world i imagine everyone to be in, different cultures, and so on and so forth. so i'll be adding that as as link to previous and future chapters as soon as i make it! 
> 
> also, Alfred's mother is not an actual character in Hetalia. Actually there will be quite a few named characters that are not in the Hetalia universe haha.
> 
> ALSO!! hUUUUGE thank you to the_otp_fangirl for beta-ing this chapter!!

Cattingstun, 1343

 

_It was not often that Alfred got sick. He had a penchant for avoiding the influenza seasons, and even normal colds seemed to steer clear of him._

_When he did fall ill though, concern rose throughout the castle grounds—for good reason._

_A few days prior, Alfred had awoke in the night, and began slapping at his brother who rested beside him. Matthew upon seeing Alfred’s horrifying state began screaming for help, and a night attendant ran into their rooms. After several more minutes of panic, Alfred’s swollen throat was opened by a doctor, and he could once more draw breath. After that, he was assigned a nursing staff to ensure he wouldn’t asphyxiate in his slumber._

_Over the years, his family and loved ones began to develop ways to tell when sickness would befall him. He was certainly not the only one to suffer from such afflictions, in fact it was not uncommon for children or adults to become ill in this manner in their dry, desert air. Even still, the stakes became so much higher for when the_ royal _child became sick, and so precautions needed to be taken._

_The first indication was a sudden change in his mood and personality._

_He would become cranky and irritable for a day or two, and then his outrage would manifest into one violent episode. The first time he had gotten sick in such a way was when he was three years old, and had bitten Matthew for no reason other than Alfred himself was miserable. The second time was when he was five years old, and he had thrown his mother's favorite vase down a flight of stairs. At age eight, his illness had been preceded by Alfred hollering about how he hated his father. These sudden outbursts were followed by him collapsing into a nearly comatose state. Every time a scene was caused, the moment he awoke he was tearful and overly apologetic. However, his consciousness did not last long before his fever dreams overtook him once more._

_As it were, Alfred's sicknesses had a set schedule. Fist came the angry and dramatic mannerisms. Then, a fever that if not monitored closely could kill him. He rarely retained any lucidity during this time—if he awoke at all, one could expect him to be terrified by delirium-induced hallucinations that he never seemed to remember. Extreme nausea ensued as soon as the fever passed and he awoke. He could keep nothing down, and staying hydrated was a difficult task. Finally, there would be one day where Alfred would simply arise for the day, and all would be well. This entire process lasted about a week, and it was never easy on anyone in the castle, for they were all wrought with concern and fear. Everyone that he met adored him, and nothing but the best was ever wished for the princes._

_Now though, Alfred had been asleep with a fever for three days straight. The only signs of him still being alive were his profuse sweating, and the shortness of breath that persisted even in his slumber._

_He would never have admitted it, but whenever he was sick, Alfred was terrified._

_King Arthur found himself by his son's bedside more often than not, holding a tiny hand in his own, and whispering as many prayers as he could think of. His father would also never have admitted it, but he was equally as scared as his son. If not, even more so than the little one. Though, the older man did not have the relief of sleep during this time. Arthur would go days without it, fearing that if he closed his eyes for a second there would be a turn for the worse in his child’s condition, and so awake he stayed until he physically could do it no longer._

_Alfred's mother—Clara—often found herself thrown into more work just as a means to distract herself. She would always situate herself either in a chair in Alfred's room, or sit on his bed with him, taking pauses in her reading every few minutes to run a damp cloth over his little forehead. Clara got about as much sleep as her husband during these times. Though she allowed herself a few brief hours of rest every once in a little while, it was only due to Arthur’s cajoling. As soon as her rest was over and her little boy attended to, back into work she would go. Should the queen let herself think about her son's position too much she would be brought to tears, and she so desperately did not want to cry in front of her other son._

_Matthew by comparison, was remarkably better about handling his brother's sicknesses. This could be due to the fact that he always believed his parents when they assured him that Alfred would be fine. Or perhaps he knew somehow on a fundamental level that everything would turn out fine. Whatever the case, he was not allowed to visit Alfred as much, for fear that he too would fall ill. It was never a surprise surprise, however when their parents found Matthew sleeping in his brother's bed, hand to the younger's forehead as if he would be able to measure his fever in their sleep._

 

\------------------------------------------

Cattingstun, 1360

 

Alfred had been really, truly sick a total of seven times in his life. Each time was as bad—if not worse, as the last—So really, it was no surprise to him when he found the three members of his immediate family, some of the closer individuals of their staff, and a doctor by his bedside when he woke.

As soon as his blue, blue eyes fluttered open, he groaned loudly for effect in order to gain everyone's attention. Better to get the preening and concern over with than to drag it out would be his excuse. In reality, he just craved the recognition of his presence. Immediately, both his mother and father were asking him if he was alright, if he felt sick at all, if he felt like he needed to throw up, and a few other questions he ignored in favor of locking eyes with his brother—whom the older raised an eyebrow at. Alfred grinned before throwing an arm dramatically over his eyes and throwing himself down into his numerous pillows.

"Oh, please, please come closer, father, I do not know if I have the strength to speak loud enough for you to hear."

Matthew snickered, and Alfred continued to milk his performance.

"Mother, please prepare my last will and testament, I have matters to decide. Matthew gets nothing. That about finishes my life's business."

"Oh, Alfred, please," his father responded with irritation, but Alfred knew he was relieved that his son was fine. His mother, though she had picked up on his sarcasm, still reached out to feel his forehead and brushed aside some stray hairs. She was always the calm, gentle one, with cold hands that soothed his flushed face. Alfred did not have a fever, but when stuffed in a room with nearly ten people, and blankets shoveled upon him even in the hottest season, one couldn’t help but break out in a sweat.

"We were worried about you, you know. You just collapsed and..." she trailed off and Alfred looked at her, smiling reassuringly.

"I’m alright, honestly. It's just that..." now was Alfred's turn to fail to finish his sentence, and he looked at his brother once again for support. Matthew nodded for him to continue. "It's just that I wasn't expecting to be married off to a man I have never met in my entire life. You always told us when we were children that we should only marry someone we loved. What happened to that?"

Clara bit her lip, and Arthur cleared his throat, turning his head to the side. When he saw the expressions on his parents faces, he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Then again, he rationalized, so should they. They weren’t the ones who were being handed off to some unkown man for the rest of their lives. The Niriktians were supposedly one of the most vicious, brutal people in the world. Or so he had heard. Rationally, Alfred knew that his parents hands were most likely forced in the matter. Without the Nirikt royal family's support, their country would have been doomed long ago. Not only that, but this was a royal marriage. Anyone that would dare harm him would have to answer to Cattingstung’s wrath, and those of their allies. Theatrics were all he knew though, and he’d be damned if he didn’t cause a scene before accepting it.

He was so engrossed in his own fuming that he hadn't realized his face had turned into a scowl, and his parents began trying to explain the situation, trying to explain how sorry they were. Again, he felt terrible for them. This didn't stop him from interrupting his father to request that everyone in the room left.

The doctor that had cared for him since his birth checked on him one last time before confirming that he was actually healthier than most anyone he saw was, and only then did everyone do as the prince had asked.

Everyone except Matthew that is, which is precisely what Alfred had been hoping for.

Immediately Alfred shoved off all of his blankets off himself and onto the edge of the bed, and threw himself against the wall that his mattress was tucked up against. Once his older brother sat down next to him, the younger of the two made short work of flopping his upper half in Matthew's lap, letting out a loud and uncontrolled whine. Neither of them said anything for a good while, Matthew instead simply stroking his brother's hair, humming quietly.

Only once his brother began to let slip a few tears and let out a shaky "It just isn't fair, Mattie," did the older offer any words of comfort.

"I know it isn't, Al, I know. If I could fix this for you, I would."

Alfred continued to cry into his big brother's lap, whimpering again and again about how he hated his current situation. As calculated as he had been before, and as much as he mentally reprimanded himself for acting like a toddler, he could not stop the burst of emotions. Better to get it out then rather than show up at a foreign dignitary's place and make a fool of himself.

It was only midday by the time Alfred had stopped crying and simply passed out, and Matthew was still stroking his brother's hair, still feeling obligated to do so because it was the only way he could think to comfort him. Eventually though, the older of the two grew weary and his resolution of closing his eyes for a few moments turned into a few minutes, turned into hours. His back was pressed against the wall, and his head had bobbed down to his chest. Alfred's bed was quite large, so they could have both easily spread out quite comfortably and not even be touching. Matthew and Alfred had never cared about that, preferring to be entangled in one way or another such as they had when they were young.

Both Clara and Arthur came into Alfred's room on separate occasions to check in on them, but once they found that the boys were resting, they had decided to slip out of the room without a word.

As soon as Alfred’s eyes popped open, he knew immediately that he wanted to be back asleep. His stomach had other plans for him, rolled uncomfortably. He turned his head slightly and the setting sun outside the opened window let him know that it was nearing dinner time. Once he stretched and sat up, his brother awoke as well. Before he could open his mouth to speak his concerns about the lack of food in his belly, he thought better of it and instead sighed. There were other things that were more pressing in his mind. Immediately Matthew's attention snapped to his brother and they exchanged a look, and Alfred smiled sadly, his lip quivering slightly. Matthew shot back a look that he hoped was comforting, and placed a hand on Alfred's shoulder, squeezing once before patting him, and rolling out of the bed. His brother followed him, and the two began readying themselves to go back into the dining room. Alfred began hunting around for his necklace, before spying it on his desk and clasping it around his neck.

"You don't have to keep wearing that thing, you know."

Fondly, Alfred placed two of his fingers on it and smiled. "I know. But you gave it to me and I like it. So...you know." Matthew simply nodded.

One last final time, the golden haired boy stretched, his arms in the air until his back gave a satisfying crack. "Your lap doesn't exactly make the most comfortable pillow."

"Oh, I am terribly sorry about that, dear brother. Let me fix that for you immediately." Alfred laughed with an equal amount of mockery, and Matthew piped up once more. "You do realize you are going to have to speak to your _lover_ about all this, yes?"

He was torn between wanting to smack his brother for the use of the word ‘lover’ and knowing that he’d forgotten about his beau altogether in favor of his own misery, Alfred groaned loudly and Matthew guided him along towards their awaiting meal, the younger one complaining all the way.

Dinner went unremarkably, Alfred shoving everything he could into his mouth until he felt he could burst. Clara had tried to initiate conversation with her sons, but all Alfred had done each time was sigh wearily, and the older had also kept his mouth shut. Finally she resigned herself to the fact that neither of her sons were happy with them, and she kept speech to a minimum. The ordeal was awkwardly quiet without Alfred filling up the silence. Their servants were also unusually timid that night, wary of what might happen between the princes and their parents. At one point Matthew had overheard a girl not much older than he whisper that they should be prepared for one of Alfred's tantrums. With a glare from the older prince, she at least had the decency to look embarrassed, and fitted her gaze to her plate. The younger boy rarely had fits, but when he did even Matthew had to admit it was for somewhat understandable reasons. The more mild mannered of the brothers would never rage about having to once again meet a suitable bride, his younger brother was more than willing to do it for him. Matthew appreciated the performances on his behalf, though he never said so. Even so, the fact of the matter wasn't that Alfred was angry at his parents. He loved them too much to really be infuriated with them, despite being given ample reason to. It was just that...He was scared.

With a small gasp and a widening of his eyes that only Matthew noticed, Alfred realized that was exactly what he was. _Scared._ For the first time in a long while he was worried for his future. Once more, his eyes began filling up with tears, and his lip started trembling. It was only when he let out a small hiccup while trying to keep back a sob that had not only his brother, but his parents rushing to his side.

As soon as he felt his mother and father's arms encircle him, Alfred let himself wail for the second time that day.

Despite his mother's reassurances that everything was going to be alright, and his father's promises of him personally going to kill anyone who hurt Alfred, the prince was unable to stop himself yet again. He felt so pathetically weak and like a bother, but if this was what it took to get himself acquainted with the idea of marriage, then so be it. There was no going back from there.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter get ready for some more ivan
> 
> (EDITED NOTES 2/25/18) 
> 
> alright third chapter is done w revisions for now. i definitely wanna work on alfred not seeming like such a pwussy anymore. no idea when ill get the next chapter all done n revised but stay tuned. seeya


	4. Chapter 4

Vil Nirikt, 1351

 

_After a long day of lessons and observing his parents' court, all Ivan wanted to do was sleep. His tutors had a lack of common sense that more often than not infuriated him. History lessons, politics, cultural affairs, linguistics, all these things bored him. The only time that he happily devoted to learning was his sparring class, but even that ground on his nerves today after Yekaterina managed to beat him three times in a row._

_For someone so soft and caring she sure could handle a sword, Ivan would give her that much. Being bested by his sister thrice though enraged him. The only thing he felt good at, he couldn't even do properly. The scowl his mother offered him after his second defeat, and her brisk walk away had angered him so much that in his third match of the day he made simple, stupid mistakes. His footing was sloppy, his grip on the practice sword loose, his focus was not only disturbed, it was non existent. He was a mess, essentially. Before he could demand a fourth round his instructor told him that he was done for the day, he couldn't learn anything else until he calmed his temper. Which caused Ivan's mood to swing towards dangerous levels of anger. Red faced, he had stomped away and returned to his room._

_Yekaterina had probably called out to him, trying to follow him to apologize, but he hadn't paid her any attention if she had. Whatever the case was, she was not with him when he finally reached his destination and slammed the door behind himself, ripping off his sweat-soaked shirt and throwing it away from him a mere second later._

_In his distracted rage, Ivan did not notice the man cloaked in all black that hid behind the door. Ivan did not notice him in fact until the man had a knife to his throat, ordering him not to scream._

As if I would _, the boy thought. Instead, he elbowed the man as hard as he could in the nose, noticing too late that the man's knife slipped, and dragged a harsh line in Ivan's neck. It wasn't fatal by any means, but it would leave a scar. It would leave a scar. This fucking bastard_   _had permanently marked_ him, _a prince._

_Later on, the boy would be scolded by his parents for not keeping the attempted-assassin alive to question him._

_As for right now though, Ivan had recovered from tackling the man far quicker than the other, and he made sure to take advantage of this. He drove his fists into this man's fucking face over and over again. To this day the prince could not recall if he had ever even seen the facial features of his attacker. To this day the prince did not care._

_His own blood was running down his chest. There was even more coating his knuckles, hands, arms, some even splattering up to his face. But he just kept hitting._

_One could not even decipher whose blood was whose, there was so much of it._

_Eventually the commotion and the man's disgusting gurgling as he drew his last breaths managed to attract the attention of a servant, who in turn ran to get the guards. By the time they arrived, the man was long dead, and they walked in on the sickeningly sweet grin of the boy who had just beaten him to death. Surprisingly calmly, surprisingly gleefully, Ivan retreated to the bathhouse while guards and servants alike took care of the body and scrubbed the blood and brain matter from the floors. When Ivan came back into the room after nearly an hour, the place was so spotless that one would not be able to tell what had happened just a short time before. The sheets were even changed._

_After a doctor looked him over and bandaged him, his parents making sure the matter was solved, and Katyusha clinging to him and crying, Ivan fell into a deep, comfortable rest._

_In the coming days, Ivan's room was carefully protected by guards, and Katyusha had created a scarf for him. It was not a pretty thing, but Ivan wore it all the same. For the second time in his life, Ivan's father told him he was proud of him. The disappointing gaze in his mother's eyes softened a bit. Ivan began to be able to best not only his older sister, but even more and more skilled opponents in his sparring lessons. Plans were even being made to teach him hand-to-hand combat, something usually reserved for his seventeenth year._

_Ivan began to think that his attempted murder was the best thing that has ever happened to him._

 

\------------------------------------------

 

Vil Nirikt, 1360

 

When Ivan awoke, it took him a few moments to recall why exactly he had smashed an empty liquor bottle against the wall. With a loud sigh, he rubbed his face with both hands, trailing his right one down his chest to scratch at his stomach. 

Thankfully he did not have a headache because of his drinking, but if he did not ease his scowl he soon would. Ivan swung his legs over the edge of his bed, and stood up slowly. He padded over to his wardrobe to put a shirt on, all the while mumbling very quietly to no one in particular that his father could go fuck himself. After his shirt was in place upon his chest, Ivan made his way back to sit on his bed, reaching over to pick up his scarf and twist it around his neck. 

In truth, he had thought he handled the news of his forced engagement rather well. Once upon a time he might have demolished his entire room, or perhaps drank himself sick. Both was also an option. As it was, Ivan felt himself capable of going to breakfast, if only to avoid the nagging of his elder sister of how he 'needed to take better care of himself.' What a laugh. Even still, he slipped on his boots, and headed for the dining hall. He paused for a moment to take a female servant by her elbow, effectively startling her, and telling her about the mess of glass in his room. Once confirmed that she would take care of it, Ivan continued his journey. 

Oddly enough, Ivan was met with the sight of his parents already seated in the room when he opened the doors. They were not usually at breakfast with their children, but Ivan regarded them with a fixed gaze of apathy, even if what he wanted to do was throw himself in his seat and shovel meat into his mouth while glaring at them. 

His father simply nodded at him. "Son." Ivan nodded back, and turned his head to catch Katyusha's eye. She offered a smile and Ivan turned back to his parents. 

"Today we will begin discussing the arrangement of your room for Alfred's stay. If I hadn't told you already, you two will begin your marriage here, and after half a year has passed, you will accompany him on his return to Cattingstun for the rest of the year." 

Alfred, that was his name. Ivan had forgotten. What a remarkably bland name for a probably remarkably bland prince. 

"Every year?" Though it was what the prince had been wondering, his younger sister was the one who voiced the question. 

His father nodded, and Ivan said nothing, only reached out to fill his plate and pour wine into his cup. Normally his older sister would tell him it was too early for such a thing, and to drink water instead, but today seemed to be an exception. Lucky him. 

"I'll bet he's annoying like every other prick from Cattingstun," again Natalya spoke, but their father was the one to offer a retort.

"When he is here, you, and everyone else, will treat him kindly. Am I understood, Natalya?" She did not answer, but turned her head, and their father raised his voice. "I said, am I _understood,_ Natalya?" This time she nodded, and their mother wiped her mouth on her napkin, and finally looked up at her children. Ivan watched her, and she quirked an eyebrow up at him before opening her mouth to speak. 

"I have heard that the boy is very interesting to look at. Golden hair, though a bit on the short side. You would be pleased with how handsome he is. Hopefully he will not remind you too much of Dietrich." 

Ivan actually choked on the piece of beef that he had been chewing. His mother was mocking him, and he knew it. He didn't need a confirmation on the boy's looks, he would be married to him either way. So why had she bothered...? He cleared his throat and finally spoke. "Remind me, mother, of what happened to my last blonde-haired lover?" 

When she smiled it was cruel, and it was ugly. This is how it always was between the two of them. 

"Well his father had to be sent a message, my son. And his head was a perfect way to deliver it." Ivan felt his lip curl at the memory of it. Katyusha had been the one to inform him of what had transgressed, crying profusely even though Ivan had ended their brief relationship weeks prior. Dietrich was a nice boy from a neighboring country, but his father was a disgusting man who had debts to be paid back to the kingdom. 'Collateral damage,' his father had called it. He hadn't deserved such a violent end. Ivan had been twenty at the time, and his ex-lover nineteen. He was quiet, minded his own business, and Ivan was fond of the way he gave head. Even still, he had an annoying habit of planning for their future, and Ivan hadn't cared too much for that. Still, there was no way he had warranted punishment for his father's offense. Such was business in their country. But Dietrich shouldn't have been killed. 

Since then, Ivan had only been with one other man, a brunette, and that had ended almost as soon as it began. 

"He will not end up like the last, I can promise you that." 

His mother's voice snapped him back out of his thoughts and he offered a slow nod in return. Appetite lost, he simply waited at the table with his family until his father told him to stand up and follow him back into his room. Katyusha followed, no doubt wanting to offer advice on what would make the boy who was soon to arrive comfortable. 

True to the servant's word, the mess Ivan had caused was cleaned up. The servants in his castle seemed to be exceptionally good at making messes disappear, they had been ever since he was a child. He simply walked over and sat on his bed while his sister, father, and a few other workers began cleaning his room, adjusting his furniture, adding in other odds and ends. It would be nearly a month before Alfred would even arrive at their castle, Ivan overhead his father say to his sister. Three months before their wedding. Three months where Ivan would have to look at this ugly display of his room and not even have anything to show for it. He grew more and more irritated as Katyusha offered tips for making his room seem more 'friendly' and less 'dark and scary.' 

Finally, when his father demanded that Ivan stand up off his bed so that they might replace it with a larger one, the prince had had had enough. "The damn brat can sleep on the floor, for all I care, you are _not_ touching my bed!" 

His words had come out with much more of a snarl than he had intended, and he didn't realize he was standing until he heard the bed being lifted behind him. Ivan whirled around to order them to put it back, but his father cut him off. He turned back around and glared at the two family members occupying his room. 

"You'll like this new one, boy. It's bigger and...Sturdier." The man offered him a wink as a sign of a joke, and Ivan knew better than to argue with his father. Any humor the king found in this situation would vanish instantly if he was spoken back to, and his son had had more than his fair share of slaps, shoves, and punishments throughout his life to remind him of his father's wrath. So instead, Ivan bit his tongue, and watched the servants carry out his bed, only to replace it with a much bigger one a few minutes later. 

The fact that they had managed to get it through the door was a feat in itself, and the mattress that came after it looked soft and welcoming. Within another few moments all the sheets and covers, along with a multitude of pillows covered the large thing, and Ivan sneered at the blue and gold coloring of them. The national colors of Cattingstun. The excitement died down very soon after, and Ivan found himself sitting on his new bed, the plush furniture pulling him in, but not allowing him to sink. He had to admit, it was more comfortable than his older one, but the very reason for its existence in his room still made his blood boil. 

Why should his future bride have everything simply handed to him, when Ivan had to make due with his meager furnishings? If Alfred thought he was going to waltz into Vil Nirikt and take everything that was Ivan's then he would...He would _what_ exactly? He had no reason to hate this boy. He wasn't the one who had set up their arranged marriage, he wasn't the one who was uprooting Ivan's entire way of life. 

And still, the silver haired man placed his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands moping, while his sister came to rest by his side, wrapping her arms around him. 

"The delegates from his country have spoken very highly of Alfred, you know. They say he is very nice and charming. There are worse people you could be wed to." 

Though Ivan didn't push his sister off of him, he did not reciprocate her hug either. He hadn't since they were very young children. All the same, he did appreciate her gesture.  _There were worse people you could be wed to._ Her words repeated again and again in his head, and he didn't know whether he wanted to yell through his anger, or drink himself stupid. What did Yekaterina know? She was not the one who was being offered to some foreign country's son. 

 _Golden hair, somewhat short, nice, charming, Stunish, Alfred._ These were all the things that Ivan knew about his betrothed. 

Politely kicking his sister out of his room, Ivan decided to fume until he ran out of steam. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooo, we're getting closer to when ivan and alfred finally meet. when they do hopefully i'll start being able to have longer chapters, and it'll be more interesting for y'all. thank you for reading!
> 
> thank you again to The_OTP_Fangirl for beta'ing!!


	5. Chapter 5

Cattingstun, 1360

 

It was a new day.

A new day for Alfred to go about knowing that he only had another two weeks before he would be sent away from home.

Of course his family was coming with him, and they would stay for a little while. But after they left he would have to be all alone with his husband. And gods, did that send shivers up his spine. The previous night he hadn't slept much, tossing and turning and worrying about every little thing that could go wrong in the coming months. In the months and years after that even. One wrong move and he could start a war between his country's saviors and his own home. Not only that, but Alfred had heard the food was atrocious in Vil Nirikt, and if he'd have to deal with that every day for every half a year for the rest of his life, well...

Alfred sighed and sat up, scratching his head furiously before flinging his hand to his side. A muffled sound of protest came when his hand did not meet the mattress like Alfred had expected, but rather his brother's shoulder instead. A second blonde head popped up to glare at the younger boy, and Alfred offered a sheepish grin and a groggily whispered "Sorry, Mattie."

Truth be told, it wasn't the worst thing the younger had done to his brother while they slept in the same bed. The worst experience in Matthew's opinion would be when Alfred had woken him by head-butting him during a sneeze. In Alfred's opinion it would have to be the time that Matthew had been startled by his brother licking his arm while mumbling about it being a block of ice. The other brother began yelling and shaking the younger off of him and Alfred was absolutely horrified not only by this incidence, but by the way that his brother decided it was the _perfect_ story to tell all their friends and family.

Rather than chastise the more golden haired of the two, Matthew sat up and rubbed his face. Alfred sat up next to him and pulled his knees to his chest, falling silent yet again. Matthew frowned at this display. Normally one could not get him to shut up, but the past few days the amount of times Alfred spoke could be counted on one hand. He was not rude or angry-at least not outwardly-but Matthew recognized his fear and trepidation about this arrangement, and oh how the older brother's heart went out to him.

"Come on, Al. Mother and Father will be wondering where we are. You might be late to everything, but people might worry if I am the one to be tardy." Alfred snickered at this, and extended his legs, allowing the joints to crack in a pleasant way before swinging them off the bed to stand. Once he did so, his brother rolled off after him, and the two silently dressed themselves.

It had been four days since Alfred was informed of his arranged marriage, and each night Matthew had slept in his younger brother's bed with him, allowing him any small sort of comfort he could offer. Alfred did not say it aloud, but the look in his eyes was always one of gratitude when his older brother followed him into his room for the night. They would silently undress and climb into bed, and Matthew would hold his brother while he cried until he fell asleep finally. Or he would stroke his hair if asked. Or he would stay up and talk for as long as Alfred needed. Being the baby of their small family, Alfred often found himself as the more emotional one, the one who cried the easiest. Despite being brought to tears more naturally than anyone he knew, no one could fault him for such emotions over his situation. No one that knew about this truly thought it was fair. Even Matthew had argued, _for gods' sakes, he does not even know the man he is to be sleeping with for the rest of his life! He does not know the family of this man, he has never even been outside of this country_! Despite the validity of the words, everyone who was listening knew they would be fruitless. Even as Matthew had tried to argue for his dear brother's sake, not only had he known that nothing could be done about the circumstance, but Alfred had known this as well. The hurt look in his face said everything the younger prince could not.

The fact of the matter was that their parents' hands were tied. No amount of pleading, crying, arguing, yelling, screaming, begging, threats or other could change this. Both boys knew this, so they did not try.

Matthew was the first to exit the bedroom, with Alfred following close on his heels. Servants and friends alike greeted the pair, everyone politely ignoring the fact that Alfred's eyes had been red and puffy for the past four days.

One particular person stood out from everyone else, quite literally in fact. The bearded man was perhaps the tallest, and palest, that Alfred had ever seen, and yet there truly was something about him that eased any anxiety that his rugged appearance could bring. _This man could easily pick me up and break me in half over his knee, and yet I am reassured every time I see him. My parents and Matthew would be thrilled to hear this_. A very small smirk was brought to Alfred's face at this thought, and he nodded in greeting to the man, breaking out into a genuine smile, though it could not quite be considered a happy one.

Tolik's own face broke into a grin, and he pulled the two boys into a tight embrace, the older of the pair huffing in indignity. Needless to say, he was not quite as pleased with the large Niriktian's nature as his brother. Tolik released the young princes, and clapped Matthew on the back. "If I may have a word with the littler one, little one?" The man chuckled at his own joke, but Matthew scowled.

"You can say what you wish in front of me as well as him."

"It's alright, Mattie." Alfred touched his brother's elbow reassuringly, and nodded at him that everything was truly fine. Matthew huffed, looked at Tolik (or perhaps glared was more accurate) once more before squeezing the younger boy's hand. When he spoke, he directed his words towards his brother, but his gaze was fixed on the large man.

"Don't be long, Alfred."

With another bob of his head, Alfred watched his brother walk down the hallway before disappearing around the corner. Only once the older boy was out of his sight, did Alfred refocus his attention on the man in front of him, still gazing down at the blonde with a comforting smile.

"How are you doing, little one?"

In all honesty, if anyone else called him such, Alfred would have a few choice words for them. But somehow the giant made it clear that it was not an insult, just something of endearment.

Then again, in all honesty..."Not well."

The look on Tolik's face turned into a frown, and he fretfully cupped Alfred's cheeks. "It is because of your engagement, no? Well fear not, little one. I have been assigned to be your ah...Bodyguard is the word?" At Alfred's nod, the man continued. "Yes, your bodyguard. Though I think it will be easy. There is not much body to guard." He broke into a small laugh, but Alfred merely furrowed his brow. He liked Tolik so far, he really did. But he wanted to get this conversation over with so he could get some food in his stomach, and be with Matthew again. His brother had been his lifeline all his existence, and this fact certainly hadn't changed with the recent turn of events.

"Do not worry. Ivan would not want anything to happen to you, so I will be best bodyguard. Only when you are not with him."

At the mention of his future husband's name, the prince's face crumpled, and Tolik's hands slipped from his face to wrap around Alfred's back. It was like being squeezed by a bear, but Alfred welcomed the gesture all the same. After another beat, the black haired man released the blonde, and held him at arm's length, examining the facial features that were being emoted like an open book. He nodded suddenly, understanding the boy immediately. Both persons were given another moment to gather their thoughts, but it was the Niriktian who spoke first.

"You are scared because you know nothing of Ivan, yes?"

"Yes." Finally, finally someone understood, and Alfred's shoulders slumped in relief. He wasn't scared of being married. No, he welcomed commitment if only he knew what he was getting into. That is a first now isn't it?, he thought.

"Alfred, I can tell you nearly anything you would ask of your future husband. I have been with him since he was a babe himself. If ever you have a question, you need only ask. Does this sound good, little one?"

Oh, Alfred could just cry. Again. It did not just sound good, it sounded perfect. He didn't trust himself to speak, so he just shuddered out a sigh, and nodded his head yet again. With a clap to his back that was arguably harder than the one given to Matthew earlier, Alfred was dismissed to breakfast. Tolik and he walked in opposite directions, but Alfred's gait was off balance and distracted. He had a million questions that he wanted to ask at once. First though, he needed to speak with his family, try and make them feel better for what he was being forced into. If only he could find the words to do so. That, and food. Those were his main priorities at the moment. Only then would he allow himself to seek the humongous man out again, and no doubt flood him with questions. If he knew Ivan as well as he said he did, then surely he could ease the boy's mind a little. When he nearly crashed into a servant, Alfred snapped himself out of his thoughts, apologized, and rushed off to join his parents and brother in the dining hall. His curiosity could wait, Alfred smelled cooked meat.

 

\----------------

 

"What is Ivan like?"

Tolik was cleaning a curved knife in a chair offered to him in his room, and Alfred was seated in front of him, cross-legged, and putting tiny braids in his brother's hair. It was only just long enough to work his fingers through, and only five seconds per braid. Yet, the young prince concentrated on this task as though he were being paid for it.

"Be a bit more specific, little one."

Alfred took a moment to consider this, and responded accordingly. "Well...Is he nice?"

"Ah. That," Tolik took a brief pause to point at the golden haired blonde with his blade before continuing to rub his cloth over it. "That depends on who you ask. Some would say that he is quiet and polite, others might say that he is the devil's spawn. Namely those who wrong him in some way." At the youngest boy's eyes widening, the giant waved his hands in the air as if to stop Alfred's train of thought. "He will be very nice to you, do not worry. You are good boy, he will like you. Many people will make sure you are treated very well."

Matthew scoffed from his place on his brother's lap. "Is that supposed to be reassuring? Braginski has to be nice to Alfred because he is made to?"

Alfred had been listening to his older brother's words, but now his eyes snapped back up to Tolik.

"You misunderstand me, little ones. Ivan will treat Alfred well because he wants to. People like me will just be around to help you, Alfred, when he is not by your side." Alfred nodded slowly, and Matthew found himself copying his movements.

"What color is his hair?"

"More ah...Lighter in color. Like yours, but pale. Blonde." Tolik bobbed his head, pleased that he had remembered the word. His accent was not hard to understand, but there were some times when he simply could not remember all the words in their Stunnish language. Everyone understood this, and everyone was very lenient with him, even going as far as to offer words to aid him in completing his thoughts. Tolik liked the people here, and he could only hope that Alfred would grow to enjoy the Niriktian company he would be offered in the coming weeks. It would make life very hard for him if he could find no friends in Tolik's own country.

"Eyes?"

"That I will keep secret. They are very pretty, very hard to describe. Pretty like yours, though different color. You will see for yourself."

"Does he speak my language?" Matthew winced as Alfred pulled a bit too hard at his hair, and the younger boy patted his brother's head in apology.

"Yes. You do not speak ours though, correct?"

The boy shamefully nodded, and Matthew felt the need to come to his defense. "Well he's never had much of a reason to learn it before now, has he?"

Tolik put his hands up again, though this time it was in surrender. "I was not accusing. But little one," now he was speaking to Alfred again, "You will want to learn. Some people there might not be so forgiving of your lack of knowledge of our language. Many people there do know Stunnish though, so you will not be too lost. But is best to be able to speak with those who do not. May get you out of bad situation."

Alfred sighed and gave up putting the little braids in his brother's hair, now seeking to undo them and untangle Matthew's locks as gently as he could. It was not that he hadn't had the chance to learn the national language of Vil Nirikt, it was just that he preferred to learn another language instead. One that sounded less angry. Instead of focusing on this fact, he decided to ask more questions instead. "Is he tall?"

The large man beamed, and answered with a prideful tone, like Ivan was his own child. "Very big and strong. Little smaller than me, but not too much. He can protect little one from anything, that I am sure of."

Matthew and Alfred shared a look, both with small, knowing grins. Alfred liked big men.

They spent an hour like this, the brothers sitting on the floor, Tolik cleaning his various weapons, answering whatever questions the young betrothed had that he could, whether they be about Ivan, or their country, or Tolik himself. Matthew was mostly silent, but every so often he would jump in to defend Alfred's naivety, or clarify something that Tolik was telling them. There was only one question he had asked the older man himself. Alfred will always be safe in your country, right? Alfred had looked worried at the question, so the Niriktian sought to ease both of their worries when he explained that either he or Ivan would always be watching out for him. At the end of their long conversation, Alfred had a better understanding of the man he was to marry, yes, but there were still an infuriating amount of things that hadn't been answered.

What was he like in the mornings? Did he like children? Would he be annoyed by all of Alfred's quirks or mannerisms? He would have to find out for himself, he supposed. But as for now, at Matthew's goading, he had a boy whose heart he had to break by ending their relationship. His soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend greeted Alfred with a grin and a sweet kiss on the boy's lips, and Alfred couldn't help the bittersweet smile that crossed his face.

It took him a little while to explain that he was getting married, and that he was not doing so of his own accord, but eventually the other boy understood. He gave Alfred another kiss, this one indicating a goodbye. Alfred could see tears pricking the older boy's eyes, and for this he felt truly awful. He hadn't loved his boyfriend, not yet anyway, but he was happy with him, as the boy was happy with Alfred. They parted, with promises to keep in touch, and the prince let out a small sigh. At least one more matter was resolved before he left. One more matter that was keeping him attached to his home was now severed. Alfred cringed, and sought out his bed to sleep off his emotional exhaustion.

 

\----------------

 

The next couple weeks were spent with Alfred packing up his belongings, saying good bye to everyone, and wallowing in his own pity. Matthew of course was with him at all times that he could, and Tolik usually would be found close by. The youngest prince hadn't spoken much to his parents, but more for a lack of things to say rather than any animosity. There was one night when he could relax that he and his brother spent the evening playing games nearly silently with both Arthur and Clara. Hours passed with the four exchanging turns in checkers, chess, whatever struck their fancy at the time. Both the king and queen were perturbed by their youngest son's silence, however they did not press the issue. They were content simply spending as much time with Alfred as they could before he would be gone for six months. They saw him at meals, and very few times after. Clara wanted to give her son some space to cope, Arthur wanted to hold his son and never let go. In the end, the king listened to his beloved wife, and they let their child take the news how he needed, and to simply support him whenever it was needed.

Six months in their kingdom without the radiant, sunny boy, what a damper on anyone's mood.

It had to be done, though. Cattingstun's economy was failing miserably, and with the promise of their son's hand in marriage, the king of Vil Nirikt had offered to give a considerable sum to any merchant who did business in the smaller country. With this new sanction in place, merchants would begin to flood in, stimulating the interest of other kingdom's businesses, and hopefully finally bring an end to the recession that had gripped Arthur and Clara's country for years.

Obviously neither parent was thrilled with the proposed arrangement, and they had spent weeks debating this, but in the end they knew what they had to do for the good of their country.

Now though, they watched as the servants filled the carriages with their party's things. Since the royal family would be traveling, there were no small amount of guards that were going with them. Not only would each member of the family be traveling in a separate compartment, the empty seats would be filled with guards, there would be some hanging on to each carriage, one would be seated with the driver, as well as numerous ones on horseback surrounding the party.

Alfred hated this. Each place they stopped would be bombarded with staff and his small family. Not only this, but the only company Alfred had would be Tolik, and the other guards in his transport were required to remain silent until off-duty. Which they would not be until his family returned home. Without him.

As the luggage began to trickle down, and everyone was filling in the horse-drawn things, the youngest boy could feel himself begin to panic a bit. It was now sinking in that these were the last moments he would experience before everything in his life changed. The route to Vil Nirikt was just under two weeks, and in this time every waking moment would be spent with guards watching his every waking movement. Even while he slept in whatever inn they would be in (Alfred snickered at his play on words), there would be at least two people watching him then too. The very idea of any privacy over the next two weeks would be utterly laughable. About eight hours traveling a day, with breaks to water the horses, switch out guard positions, give everyone a chance to stretch their legs, food breaks, and so on. Then, as they neared small cities or towns they would find a place to eat dinner, and sleep until waking to repeat the process all over again.

What a miserable prospect.

Over the last few days before they all left, Alfred had taken to pouting and quietly complaining under his breath. The normally optimistic boy who could find the silver lining to anything had become almost unbearable to speak to for longer than five minutes. Everyone knew he would get over this mood, but it was still disheartening to see someone who was normally so cheerful to be so upset. Matthew and Tolik were the only ones who still stayed around him nearly all the time. Alfred was thankful for their company, even if he was unable to show it over his miserable whining.

He was startled by an arm slung around his shoulder, and he turned his face to see his brother's strained smile. One that Alfred knew he was forcing for his younger brother's benefit. So Alfred forced one right back, either though neither of them were fooled.

"It's going to be a long eight hours, isn't it, Al?"

"Eight hours without seeing your ugly mug ought to be a relief." Alfred finally grinned as Matthew shoved him, and Alfred did the same to him before their mother called out to the older of the two, telling him to get into his carriage. Matthew took a step to be in front of Alfred, and his joking smile was gone.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes." He kept his mouth open as if to continue, but words failed him. So instead he closed it, and Matthew nodded understandingly. He pulled his younger brother into a hug before clapping him twice on his back, and pulling away gently.

"The sooner we get moving, the sooner we can stop for the night, Al." Alfred nodded absentmindedly, before turning back to the castle he would be leaving.

 _Memorize this, Alfred, memorize everything, everyone_. He was ignoring everything happening around him in favor of reminiscing. _Running through the gates with Mattie, all the way to the market where the shop owners would give you free sweets. Everything smelled so good, everyone was so kind even when they were all struggling. The birds were always so loud in the summer, but that meant it was summer. It meant that both he and Matthew had a long break in their studies, it meant they could do whatever they pleased, within reason of course. Their servants would always take care of them, they all loved the two boys so much. There were days where Arthur would scoop them up in his arms, and plant kisses to both their foreheads. They would wrestle on the floor, with Clara smiling kindly down at them and laughing, even joining them sometimes until it was time for bed_.

Were Alfred being truthful, he could admit that he was at least a little bit afraid that his soon-to-be-husband would kill him in his sleep. Just because Alfred did not know the language, did not mean that he was stupid or completely ignorant and did not know history. People had been executed for less than being forced into a marriage. According to Tolik, this Ivan would never dream of harming Alfred, but how completely could Alfred trust this man's word? He had sworn a blood oath to the Braginski prince when the boy was only two years old after all, he could be lying on Ivan's behalf.

"Alfred, sweetie, it is time." His mother's voice, gentle, cajoling.

He listened to her and got into his carriage, but it was more on instinct than anything else.

A split second after he was seated, a large, heavily bearded man slid in next to him. The blonde did not have to look up to know who it was. After all, there was only one man that he knew whose bicep was as thick as Alfred's damn torso. Resigning himself to his fate, Alfred rested his head against the carriage's side, closing his eyes until he felt the lurch of the horses pulling them along.

Tolik did not attempt to speak with the prince much, only simple questions on if the boy were fine, offerings of snacks or water. When his queries were only met with a shrug of the shoulders, or a shake of the head, the Niriktian stopped asking. He had only known Alfred for a short time, but the boy was so easily readable. Right now he was probably praying to the gods for everyone to leave him alone. Tolik abided.

Time passed. Slowly, but surely, it did.

As soon as everyone was let out from their transports, the brothers ran to each other and embraced. Well, more accurately, Alfred ran to Matthew who caught him when they collided. Either way, it was a sweet scene. Nothing was said much at dinner, mostly just the innkeepers trying too hard to please the royal family. Even Alfred's mouth concentrated on chewing instead of talking, even though he itched to complain. Yet again, come bedtime the two boys slept in the same bed, with guards posted both in and outside their room, as well as their parents' room. The rest of the guards got some sleep or watched over the carriages, and all too soon the next day arrived.

The second day was as uneventful as the first, but this time Alfred fell asleep against Tolik's large arm for a few hours, starling awake only when the large man couldn't stifle a cough.

Day after day of this passed and nothing really changed from the large party's routine, save for the location, and Alfred's increasing anxiety. The boy asked over and over again if he could ride in the same carriage as his brother, but over and over again he was told, It just is not safe, Alfred. Anything could happen and we need as many survivors as possible. This did absolutely nothing to ease his worries, so Tolik took it upon himself to get the boy to laugh at least once each day.

It was not a difficult task under normal circumstances, but with their uncomfortable situations each and every day, and everyone's mood turning sourer as time dragged on, Alfred was more apt to curl his nose and turn away rather than show any amount of joy.

Then...Finally it was the day they were to arrive. Their ride was only to be a mere hour before reaching the palace gates of Vil Nirikt. Alfred's face showed one of pure fear the entire ride. His personal guard placed a ginormous hand on Alfred's much smaller knee. He must have seen the way that the blonde boy relaxed just a fraction, and so he kept his hand there, patting it every so often.

Soon, they were... _There_ , and the prince turned to his only speaking companion and whispered out the words, "I'm scared." Tolik was unable to reply as their carriage's doors were opened, and the other guards left first, then the lumbering man, and finally, it was Alfred's turn. He swallowed, hard, and took a deep breath. He took his time climbing out, trying to quell his blind terror, stop his shaking hands, anything that would help.

When he was finally out, Alfred noticed everyone was staring at him, and his mouth went dry. Normally he was a glutton for attention but this...Was uncomfortable to say the least.

"Alfred."

This voice was unfamiliar, one that he had never heard before. He turned his head to search for who had called his name, and he found a man with ashy colored hair, a scarf wrapped around his neck, and an eyebrow that was quirked up in confusion while awaiting a response.

"Yes?"

The same man spoke again, puffing out his chest just a tiny bit, face now as neutral as could be-a stark contrast to Alfred's own paled, wide-eyed one.

"I am Ivan Braginski, prince of Vil Nirikt. Welcome to my home."

 

Vil Nirikt, 1360

 

There was only a short amount of time before the Cattingstun family was to arrive at Ivan's family's castle. The prince could not be more disinterested in the preparations being made.

What he was currently invested in, however, was fighting his swords master in the final event that would prove Ivan ready for graduation from this program. That is not to say that he wouldn't be able to practice his mastery of swordsmanship anymore, simply that he would be recognized as a new master who could take over teaching the new classes if he so chose. He did not.

Both instructor and student had been going at their match for nearly fifteen minutes, and so far the only memorable event had happened when the instructor managed to slap Ivan in the face, which earned him an enraged slash across the back in return.

To everyone watching the event, it would seem that Ivan was just barely able to block each thrust and parry his teacher sent his way, only able to dodge when he could not bring his blade up in time. To the two duelers, however, they knew differently. In truth, Ivan was just toying with his master, who was attempting to keep on the offensive. Ivan was the larger man between the two of them, and he used this to his advantage as often as he could. To let the prince off of the defensive was a death wish, whether figuratively or literally in this case remained to be seen.

For the past year the teacher had expected Ivan to surpass himself soon. He had become tenacious, ruthless, cold and calculating, with a penchant for never letting anger or frustration cloud his judgement. He had come so far since when he was a boy, throwing tantrums whenever his sister or other students bested him. Whereas this was not always the case in other matters, whenever Ivan fought-with weapons or without-it was never long until he was the best. The hand-to-hand combat training that he had started in his fifteenth year was completed by the time he was twenty one years of age, which was unheard of by any of his instructors. So far had Ivan come since his youth that his instructors often whispered rumors of the boy being born from some sort of demon. Once Ivan himself had overheard these rumors, and had a silently bemused thought. _Ha, if only you knew my mother. Then your assumptions might not seem so far-fetched._

Now though, with a well placed foot intended to trip his instructor, the younger man finally gained his advantage. His teacher did not fall, but it was enough of a stumble for Ivan to get close enough to smash his elbow in the other man's neck, sending him to the ground. The instructor was coughing and sputtering, but not finished with their brawl yet. He rolled out of the way as Ivan brought his sword down, narrowly missing being decapitated. _Ivan's speciality_ was a popular thought amongst the crowd.

One could not forget that the swords master was called _master_ for a reason though.

He dodged one more of Ivan's strikes, and blocked the third, effectively rattling the sword in Ivan's large hands, but not dislodging it completely like he had intended. The older man used the larger's momentum to his advantage, and kicked up his feet under Ivan's stomach, sending him flying through the air.

Ivan nearly seemed expectant of this move, and when he came down towards the ground again he used his arms to send him into a somersault, springing to his feet and whipping around quickly. During this brief stint, his teacher had also managed to stand back up again, rolling his head so he could stretch out his sore neck. Ivan fought down the urge to smirk, and passed the sword between his hands, back and forth. Back and forth, just waiting for the other man to make the first move.

After a pregnant pause-what seemed like just a moment or two to the crowd, and an eternity to Ivan and his master-the older of the two charged forward, intending on keeping his offensive game strong. What he was not expecting was Ivan to raise his arm at just the right moment, blade missing the instructor's face, but Ivan's fist and the hilt of the sword did not. There was a sickening crack in the older man's nose that might have been imagined, but could very well have been real, and as the other stumbled back with a bark of pain, pressing a hand to his gushing nose, Ivan kicked him in the stomach. Once again the man was sent to his back, any air he had rushing out of his lungs.

This time when Ivan brought his sword down, the man was not able to move away.

Instead of slicing through the man's throat like everyone had expected, the prince's blade stopped just short of cutting through an artery.

"I win." The simple statement was said with an almost innocent cock of his head, but the split lip and snarl he had on his face negated that sentiment. Ivan tossed his sword to his now former teacher's side, leaving whoever cared to to pick it up. He went to the edges of the arena, towards the cheering crowd, and swiped his canteen off of the stool it was resting on, taking the longest swig he had in his entire life and effectively emptying the full container. His eyes quickly searched all the faces surrounding him, finding his sisters with ease. It was the sight of his parents that surprised him, but he merely cocked an eyebrow at the pair.

His father beckoned for Ivan to come to them, and the prince waved to Katyusha, yelling that he would see her in a minute.

Since the match was over, the crowd began to dissipate, and it only took a few moments for him to reach his parents. As soon as he did, he stood in front of them, eye-to-eye with his father, but only a few inches taller than his mother.

"You did well, boy."

"Thank you, father." Polite as needed, simple and plain as desired was Ivan's response.

"Yes, Ivan. You performed exceptionally in your fight." His eyes widened as his mother spoke, but the ashy haired man was able to reign back his shock quickly. It took another second for him to realize that she was staring at him expectantly, awaiting acknowledgement for her praise.

"Thank you, mother. I appreciate it. Was there anything you needed...?" Ivan silently prayed no.

"Yes, actually. The Cattingstun boy is to be arriving in two weeks, you know this, yes?" After a nod, King Vladislav continued. "We need your opinion on what you want your wedding clothes to look like. You know, more traditional or modern, what medals will go on your sash-" Ivan curled his lip slightly, ignoring the pain, and his father chuckled a bit. "I am kidding, my boy." He clapped him warmly on the shoulder. His mother continued to look on coolly. "Wedding talk can wait. We just came today to cheer on our only son, isn't that right, my queen?"

Her attention snapped back up towards Ivan, and she offered something of a smile. It was an attempt at least. "That we did, husband. Though it was your father's idea, after all. It ended up being entertaining." Of course she would make sure to point out that she wouldn't attend any of her children's' events without prompting. No wonder Ivan took after her.

Ivan liked his mother's voice. It was soft and hard at the same time. Slow and calm, but had a nasty bite to it, no matter who she was speaking to. Her accent had a bit of an airier nature at the end of each word, which Ivan has never heard before. His father on the other hand, loud and brutish, but it was predictable since childhood. He liked his father's voice for all that it could accomplish in its authoritative essence.

"Get yourself cleaned up, boy. The Stunnish delegates will be joining us for dinner again so you'd do well to look presentable. Good job again, I am...proud of you."

Well now. That certainly was a first.

"Thank you, father, mother. Truly." The three of them nodded at each other, and Ivan set off to join his sisters again. To say he was emotional at his father's endearment was a bit of of an overstatement, but it did make Ivan's heart thud a bit harder at something he supposed was happiness. Since he had been speaking with his parents, nearly everyone that had been at the brawl between master and student to watch was gone, and yet Yekaterina found it necessary to wave her arm in the air, calling out to Ivan loud enough so that he could hear her. Natalya stood by her, scuffing her boot against the dirt, watching her brother come towards them through her bangs. It was obvious she had come from her riding lesson since she had on pants and a light leather jacket instead of her usual skirts and blouses. How touching that she had left early to come see her brother duel.

"Vanya!"

The prince cringed inwardly at the use of his nickname, but he was in far too good a mood to reprimand his elder sister for the use of it. As soon as he was close enough, Yekaterina pulled him into a warm hug. She was a tall woman, but still a good few inches shorter than Ivan, and only an inch or two above their littlest sister in height. Ivan gave her an appreciative pat on the back, and she pulled away, beaming at him.

"You did so well, Ivan! I admit, I was a bit frightened through the entire thing, but I never doubted you for a moment!"

"Of course you wouldn't doubt him, he was obviously far better than the 'master.'"

The pout on Natalya's face was almost comical, and Ivan provided his own small smile. "Thank you, sisters. Your support is...Well, it was nice to see you." This was perhaps the most he had ever said the words 'thank you' in one day in his entire life, and each time was more stiff than the last. Nevertheless, he did mean it, as he did with all the words that he said.

Katyusha did not seem to mind the blood and dirt that Ivan had wiped off on her during their hug, she would most likely be changing soon anyway. It looked as though she had just come from tending the gardens, as she had trousers and boots on, as well as a plain brown tunic under her suspenders. What a sight the royal children made on this occasion. It was a good thing none of their advisors were around, as they would be mortified. That thought alone gave him a smug sense of satisfaction, as when they were children it was drilled into them that they must always look their best! Of course, neither he nor his sisters listened to them much at all anymore, especially in regards to their dress.

Advisors were for kings and queens, and children. Teenagers and early adults as they were, they did not much care. Oh well.

"Oh! Vanya!"

"Yekaterina, please."

"Right, right, sorry. Ivan. Also, I want you to call me Katyusha I've told you a thousand times-but listen, this is important!" He cocked an eyebrow, and his older sister beamed up at him. "I have more information about Alfred! I took it upon myself to ask the delegates, and whereas they do not know him very well, they have seen him around a few times. He-"

"Katyusha, I do want to hear this, believe me. But more so I want to get out of these clothes and wash." Not only that, but my lip is beginning to hurt and having to scrape off crusted blood is not high on my list of wants. "You can tell me at dinner tonight, yes?" Whereas his older sister nodded enthusiastically, his younger sibling scowled at the mention of his future husband. Once Alfred arrived, everyone would have to look out for the Stunnish boy, mindful that Natalya did not end up sticking a knife in his back when he was least suspecting of it.

They said their goodbyes, and as Ivan turned to leave, he could feel the youngest girl latch onto his arm. He stopped, and gave a pointed, and pained, look at Katyusha. She hurried to pry the princess off her brother, pleading, "Natalya, please, leave him alone!" She finally relented, and Ivan quickly made his way to his bath house. He did not run, he was not scared of his younger sister. He certainly did walk fast though. Very fast.

 

\----------------

 

Now, Ivan would not say that pleasuring himself in his warm bath was his favorite thing in the world, but it was right on that list of cherished activities. There was just something to be said about the way he could pump his cock as slowly as he pleased, or as rapidly as he so chose, and being able to release without worry of a mess. As for now, Ivan decided to take it slowly, as he did have quite a bit of time until his family would gather for dinner anyway. Usually he did not have any set fantasy in mind, he was never the most imaginative individual, but today was different.

Today he let his soft groans fill the empty-but from him-room, imagining a blonde head sucking him off. He did not know what this Stunnish prince was going to look like, but damn if his mind did not try.

With his conjured imagery in place, it didn't take long until he moaned out a "Fuuuuuck..." before spilling into the bathwater.

After all that, and only after, he reprimanded himself for fucking his hand to a man he did not even know. Then again, if he were to have to have sex with this boy for the rest of his life, then he might as well prepare himself to the thought of it. Gods above Ivan hoped he was at least bearable to look at.

He got out of the water and lazily dried himself off, slipping on his favorite robe and entering his bedroom once more. Glancing outside, he figured he had time for a light nap before dinner, as there was nothing better for him to busy himself with. When he woke up, he did so with a start, nearly head butting Natalya in the face. "What are you doing in here?" He hissed, not bothering with any pleasantries. Numerous times in their lives had he explicitly told her never to enter his room without permission and yet, here she was.

"Katyusha did not want you to be late." She folded her arms in front of herself, sniffing slightly.

Ivan sighed, and sat up properly. "Fine, I will not be. Now leave."

She did not look exceptionally pleased about it, but she did as he asked anyway. Well, she did after Ivan shooed her away with his hands and a now, Natalya. Once she shut the door behind herself, Ivan began dressing, taking care to stretch out his muscles so he did not strain something in such an idiotic way. Had he not been preparing himself for this fight for weeks, he would have been sore, but thankfully he had the foresight to know that his brawl would not be easy. After all, this man had been training Ivan since the first time the young prince had picked up a sword, and he was privy to every single one of his moves. That went two ways though, and the man was so much more predictable than the student. It would have been well within Ivan's right to take his life at the end of their battle, but he supposed he had a soft spot for his former teacher. Enough of a soft spot to let him walk away with his head still intact at the very least.

Once fully dressed, Ivan took his time walking to the dining hall, accepting a congratulations or two about how his match went earlier that day. Upon opening the doors, Katyusha twisted herself in her chair to smile at him, and followed his movements with her eyes, excited to finally relay the information she had found out. Unfortunately for her, she needed to wait until their father greeted their guests once again.

As King Vladislav rambled on about how excited the family was for the Alfred boy to arrive, Ivan took the opportunity to study the features of the two delegates better than he had previously. The woman had a shaved head and no remarkable features, aside from a vine-line tattoo on her bald skull, and a large birthmark that spread across her left cheek. The prince recalled that there was an old tale amongst the southern regions that said if one had a birthmark like such, then it was a sign that they were kissed from the gods. Were Ivan religious he would care more, though he did admit that the discolored mark on this woman's face was rather interesting. The man on the other hand was, simply put, boring. He had dull eyes that showed no emotion, thin eyebrows, sunken in cheeks, an odd placement of hair that made it look more like a small animal than any sort of style. The two quickly lost Ivan's interest as soon as his father was finished with his speech and dinner was being served.

Idle chatter from the Stunnish people and the king and queen began to fill the air, and Katyusha turned to speak with her brother. She did not say anything until Ivan nodded, and then she was a flurry of words.

"Abda-that's the woman-said that she sees Alfred in the garden from time to time, and that he really loves flowers. They have flowers in Cattingstun that we have never seen before, isn't that wonderful? There's so many colors in their garden, she says, and that Alfred's favorites are some called 'sunflowers?' They sound lovely. OH! And Abda was telling me about different potting techniques, and which fertilizers work better with which flowers...She says that she will send some seeds back from Cattingstun for our gardens, wouldn't that be wonderful-oh, and!"

"Katyusha. Back to Alfred please." Ivan had been eating while his sister talked, still absorbed in what she was saying though. Natalya was sulking in her chair, playing with her food more than eating anything. He steadily ignored her.

"Alright, so she does not know much more about Alfred besides his love for flowers. He does have an older brother that he looks similar to named...Ah...Matthias? Matia?"

"Matthew."

This was the first time that Natalya had spoken all dinner, and whereas she was normally silent and involved in her own thoughts, Ivan would have presumed that she was tuning out everything that their older sister had to say about the Stunnish prince exceptionally hard. Even more shocking was that either she was privy to the conversation between Katyusha and this...Adba woman. Or, she had tolerated the eldest Braginski sibling going on about Ivan's fiancee. He didn't bother to ask though.

"Right, right, Matthew. Apparently the two are nearly always together, but Matthew is quieter than Alfred. Which leads me to what Magen had to say-he is the other delegate-, and he has talked to Alfred a couple times at least. Apparently, he is a very nice boy, very mindful of others feelings, even if he does go on about himself a bit much. But, oh, that sounds negative does it not? Everything that Magen had to say was incredibly positive! Alfred's apparently a very talkative boy, and smiles a lot, so it seems as though there would never be a dull moment with him. Ivan, are you listening?"

"Yes, sister." Ivan was mimicking Natalya now, pushing his food around on his plate instead of eating. The boy seemed like he would be...Agreeable to be married to at the very least. His personality seemed like such a stark contrast to Ivan's own that it would be a nice relief from dealing with himself.

"He seems awful."

"Natalya! You do not even know him!" As Katyusha chided their sister, Ivan continued to take small bites from his food until everyone was excused from dinner.

He bade good night to both of his sisters, even if the younger one was being insufferable currently, and shuffled his way back to his quarters. Ivan hasn't been excited about anything in his life for a very long time, and whereas he wouldn't say that he was sitting on the edge of his seat to meet Alfred, he was most certainly intrigued.

 

\----------------

 

It was only a few more days until the royal party was supposed to be arriving. Which meant that it would only be another two months until his wedding, the first out of his siblings. Really, if it were up to him he might never be married, but it was not up to him.

Last minute preparations were being made as quickly as possible, and Ivan had to admit that the palace looked nicer and more comforting that he had ever seen it in his entire life.

Wagons filled with food, both for Niriktian recipes as well as Stunnish, were being unloaded into the kitchen. Katyusha and the other gardeners had potted quite a variety of plants and flowers, and set them on nearly every available surface that they could. Banners depicting his family's crest and colors were hung everywhere, and in the dining hall there was a pattern of Cattingstun's national flag, and Vil Nirikt's. Both banners were pressed and spotless. Floors were cleaned, beds made, windows polished, even Natalya was made to clean her room. Though Ivan seriously doubted that anyone would want to visit her chambers enough to take a look at the state of cleanliness.

Still, regardless of the reason why, it was a nice sight to see when everything did not look so cold and dead.

Katyusha was extremely happy about the matter as well, repeatedly asking their parents if they could keep their home like this forever. Natalya had yet to comment.

So the time passed with minimal effort on the prince's part, which was exactly to his liking. Each day that passed was another day closer to meeting this Alfred. Numerous times had he been told that if anything were to happen to the boy it would be on his head, that he should protect him with his life, and so on. Not that Ivan needed to be reminded of the political repercussions again and again if anything were to befall the boy, but he tolerated it.

Then, suddenly, Katyusha was shaking him awake, telling him that he needed to get up and get ready and Alfred is going to be here in just a few hours and hurry, Ivan! To his credit, the Braginski boy did manage to shoot up quickly, and dress himself in his nicer clothes in record time. As soon as he adjusted his sash and slipped on his scarf, Katyusha was yelling, "Hurry!" again to him. That he did not need constantly so he pulled on his boots as quickly as possible, and followed his sister to breakfast. From there it was just a short matter of time until everyone arrived, and gods if Ivan wasn't shaking a slight bit. He was seated outside, hands gripping his knees as they bounced rapidly, and Katyusha placed her gentle hand on his to try and calm him.

Her move worked, until of course the sound of carriages could be heard in the distance. Ivan shot up quickly, setting his face just as rapidly so that no one could see what he was feeling. It's a shame, Katyusha thought. When he was little he used to be so much more caring and open.

All too soon, the carriages began stopping in front of their palace gates, and their family exited in order to welcome their guests better.

The first man who made an appearance outside of the uniformed guards was quite obviously the king, with his older appearance, grey streaks, and mighty crown upon his head. Moments later was his queen. She looked soft and kind, red hair pinned back and a tiara placed upon her head. Her brown skin contrasted the king's pale tone, which Ivan found odd for a man raised in the desert country. Though, after a moment's though, he decided he truly did not care what they looked like. 

Then, the son that he had been waiting for. Ivan held his breath as a boy got out of his carriage, and stretched slightly, not wishing to draw too much attention. He could not help but feel a bit disappointed in his appearance. He had strawberry blonde hair that was wavy, and was wearing an embroidered tunic with soft-looking black leggings. He wore minimal jewelry, only a bracelet on each wrist, and a tiny crown of his own. His skin was a mix between his father's and mother's, smooth with a few beauty marks on his face. He did have nice eyes though, Ivan supposed, but overall he seemed a bit...Duller than his sister had described to him.

"Alfred?"

The boy looked at him, confused, looked about himself before turning back to Ivan, and shook his head. The boy pointed at himself and declared, "Matthew." Oh. Well then where was...?

Oh. Oh.

Now before him, Alfred looked...Beautiful. Incredibly more handsome than Ivan had previously imagined. Golden tresses that were straighter than his brother's, but no less thick covered his head, and he made a move to brush them from his eyes. They were a remarkable shade of blue. The same skin tone as his brother, but there was a considerable more amount of marks on his face than the other Stunnish prince. No, not beauty marks, Ivan could see as the boy took a few more unsure steps towards the Niriktian, these were freckles that dusted the boy's nose and cheeks. He was indeed shorter than a lot of men Ivan had seen in his time, but that almost seemed endearing. He had his own circlet that had jewels that matched his bright eyes, and everything about him seemed so...

"Alfred." His voice came out as softer than he had intended, but it still got the boy's attention. He scanned the surrounding people for a moment before his eyes landed on Ivan.

"Yes?"

He drew himself up so he looked a bit bigger, though it was more out of habit than trying to look intimidating in any way. He could see that Alfred's hands were clasped in front of him, and Ivan caught the eye of Tolik for a moment, who motioned for him to continue. The giant man was right now, as he usually was. So he listened to his old friend, took a quiet breath while keeping in mind of his expression, and continued.

"I am Ivan Braginski, prince of Vil Nirikt. Welcome to my home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i just want to say a couple things real quick
> 
> 1.) thank you yet again to The_OTP_Fangirl for being my beta, you're awesome!!  
> 2.) i really, truly, honestly appreciate each and every single comment that gets left on this fic. i try to reply to all of them, but sometimes i forget, but i do read each one and thank you all for your kind words!  
> 3.) sorry that this chapter took so long! i had school stuff and spring break, and i was with friends the entire break so nothing much got done. but hopefully ill be able to keep a fairly regular schedule once i get used to longer chapters!
> 
> that being said, ivan and alfred fINALLY meet. things are gonna hopefully pick up soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oHHHHH my gosh okay i am so sorry this took so long. i've had so many projects to work on for school (graphic design major holla) and i'm gonna have a lot of work until the end of my design class finals (so like the 5th of may). that being said i do love my major but there's just a lot going on right now. 
> 
> my wonderful beta is also on hiatus until june-ish so if there are any mistakes PLEEEASE let me know! i wanna give yall the best story i can so any weird stuff that u see please don't be afraid to let me know, i promise i won't yell or anything haha. 
> 
> i really hope to update quite a bit over the summer, and i am cracking away on a rly long tumblr post that gives an insight into how this world works and different stuff. until that's all done u can follow me @ http://whillowed.tumblr.com/ and you can ask me any questions that u may have, or just send me messages about anything really, there! 
> 
> one last thing: i uh....how do u say....messed up w/ torik's name lmao. i had in the first chapter as tolik (which was correct) n then i kept putting it in as torik. oops. so i've fixed that! sorry for any confusion!
> 
> ummm...i think that about wraps it up for this chapter's notes so without further ado, the lastest chapter of moi podsolnechnik

Vil Nirikt, 1360

Alfred's breath caught in his throat whilst he looked at the man before him. To say he was surprised would be quite an understatement. Even with all of Tolik's reassurances, the prince was still caught off guard that Ivan did not seem to be a monster from a nightmare. No, in fact, the man was quite...

"Are you alright?"

Without realizing it, Alfred had been staring at the other man for nearly a full minute, eyes and mouth wide, not saying a word in that whole time. It was, at the very least, a relief that Ivan spoke their Stunnish tongue even if Alfred could not speak his. 

Matthew began to cross the distance between himself and his brother, and only then did the younger boy find his words. "I...I am alright, yes. I am Alfred of Cattingstun and..." He quieted at Ivan breaking out into a small smile, tilting his face down and off to the side, before looking up with a bemused smirk instead. "But you knew that already, yes. I am sorry it is all-all of this that is," he broke off to make a sweeping gesture towards the carriage, the crowd, the castle, and everything else in between. "-it's just a bit...Much." Alfred was speaking much faster and quieter than he meant to. Normally his speech was loud and quick (although not too much so...He hoped anyway), but he did not stumble as much as he was now. People also could generally keep up with him at his normal speaking pace rather than this garbled mess. His face quickly heated with the embarrassment of his ramblings, and Matthew noticed this as soon as he reached his younger brother, looking up with a blank expression at the much taller prince.

It was then that with a small frown, Ivan decided to look down at Alfred's body, and back up to his face with growing animosity evident. "Were you mugged?! Attacked?! Where are your clothes?!"

"W-what?"

"I was told your carriages would be protected, if anyone has harmed you I swear that I-"

Ivan's quick and angered rant was cut off by Matthew bursting into laughter, while Alfred broke out into his own smile. "It is just how he dresses!" Matthew managed to gasp out. The blue eyed boy had never worn much in their own country, and in this foreign kingdom while it was still summer and heated was no different. Today he was merely dressed in an incredibly small pair of black shorts that looked to Ivan as though they were undergarments. There were transparent blue silks over the outer half of Alfred's thighs, kept on by a belt and golden anklets, his bottom half's attire ending in thick brown sandals. His top half merely had two intercrossing blue silks to cover his breasts, though with how translucent they were, his pierced nipples were still visible. Now that Ivan was thinking more clearly, he was able to take in the fact that Alfred was still adorned in a large golden necklace, with matching armlets, bracelets, and even a few rings. Not only this, but there was a golden headdress with a single jewel in the center of it perfectly in-place upon his forehead.

He had the good grace to cough, and turn his face to hide his embarrassment. "I-I’m so sorry. I had no idea." Finally Matthew's laughter turned into a simple smile, and Alfred allowed himself a small giggle before replying.

"It's alright. Perhaps I should have covered up a bit more, I hadn't thought of it."

"You never do." Alfred glared at his brother and Matthew blocked a mock slap that was coming for his stomach. Even after that the older mouthed "harlot," at Alfred in a loving manner. 

Ivan forced himself to look at the both of them again, switching one to the other, though his eyes stayed mostly concentrated on Alfred, on his fading smile. When he spoke, it was directed towards the youngest of the three. "That blunder of mine aside, I suspect that you wish to wash up and take some time for yourselves before dinner. I can personally show you to the washrooms and your chambers if you would like." His speech had returned to a stiff and formal tone, befitting to that of a prince from the northern country. To his credit he had quickly recovered from the earlier chagrin. Though Alfred found Ivan's quick shift in timbre a bit off-putting, Matthew understood that Ivan was most likely just as uncomfortable as they were in this moment. It would probably take him a while to open up completely to the Stunnish boys' presences. When Alfred failed to speak up, his older brother did so for him.

"That would be wonderful, thank you. Let us just speak to our parents for a moment if you would?"

Ivan nodded with a barely audible "Of course," and stepped away from them with his arms still clasped behind his back, watching them all the while. Matthew kept a light hold on his younger brother's arm, leading him gently to their parents, who were speaking with Ivan's own mother and father. Next to the Niriktian ruling couple were two women with the same colored hair. One was very tall with breasts the size of large melons, and a sweet smile plastered to her face. The second was glaring at the boys, with her hair reaching the middle of her back, and the sharpest features they had ever seen on a woman. She wasn't quite as tall as her sister, though she certainly did not lack any height. Both of them could easily tower over Alfred. Though the second woman could not when compared to the elder Stunnish boy. Whereas Matthew noticed the sharp-edged woman's nasty expression, Alfred was still a little dazed, looking around about him at the immense crowd gathered. At the guards trying to keep them back. At the large palace they were in front of with the foreboding gates. Of course, there was the occasional glance behind himself at the man he was to be marrying soon, who met his eyes each time he did so. When the boys at last got the attention of Clara, who in turn excused herself and Arthur for a moment, she gave them each a kiss on the forehead, smiling softly.

"Ivan has offered to show us to our rooms so we can get ready for dinner. Would you mind if we made ourselves scarce until then?" Matthew, ever the polite one.

"No, of course not. Neither of you have bathed in a few days, it's beginning to get a bit unpleasant." Alfred opened his mouth to respond, but Arthur winked, indicating his joke. It was probably for the best as Alfred doubted his ability to get out a proper retort at the present moment. "Go, wash up, take a little nap if you would like. Your mother and I will be touring around until dinner." Their queen mother nodded, wrapping both of her arms around one of her husbands.

"Do not be a bother to anyone, you two. Promise?" She addressed the both of them, but her stern look was directed towards her younger son.

"Promise," they said in unison. They received a smile from both their parents in return, and simultaneously both pairs turned around to resume their earlier activities. The king and queen of Vil Nirikt were a bit too intimidating for the young blonde to try and comprehend right now. It seemed as though when they looked at him, they could see all of his insecurities and weaknesses. What a horrifying thought. Alfred did allow himself to try and eavesdrop on the conversation that the older rulers were having, but his brother was leading him towards Ivan once again, effectively ruining that idea. As soon as both boys were facing the other prince's direction, Ivan straightened himself once again, never once moving his arms from behind his back.

It took the two brothers mere seconds to reach him, and as soon as they did so, they were received with a simple and expressionless, "Ready?"

Matthew nodded while Alfred responded with, "Yes." Ivan finally moved his right arm, making as though he wished to extend it to Alfred, but thought better of it, and returned the limb behind himself, clasping his hands to his forearms, and gave his own curt nod. The entire series of movements seemed so incredibly jerky and unnatural. It scared Alfred a bit to think that he should be like this normally, but when they began walking he found that that was not the case. 

And this was all it took for the three of them to begin their journey inside the gates of the castle. Tolik, whom Alfred had previously forgotten,  _ gods the man had a penchant for disappearing when he wanted to _ the boy thought, reappeared beside them, keeping back the more nosy of the onlookers. Ivan took the front position, with the brothers in the middle, and Tolik bringing up the rear, all four of them silent as they walked. The moment they were in the castle, was when the Nirktian prince cleared his throat, and awkwardly began pointing out different areas of the building.

Alfred took the opportunity to study how Ivan carried himself, what he looked like, and so on. The larger man was immense in a word. Exactly like his new personal guard had described, Ivan would absolutely tower over himself they moment they stood next to each other. Even with-or especially with- the jacket on, Alfred could tell that Ivan was thick. Not chubby, though that would have been cute in its own merit, but hard and muscled. The younger man would not find himself surprised if the Niriktian's arms were as thick as Alfred's damn torso.

Neither of the Stunnish boys were small by any means, each study in their own rights, but gods was Ivan large. Smaller than Tolik, yes, but still easily one of the biggest men that Alfred had seen in his entire life. On one hand it was comforting knowing that he would be taken care of, but on the other hand, if Ivan ever wanted to harm Alfred then...Well, then it would be all too easy.

Rather than let his mind take him to these darker thoughts, Alfred concentrated on what his guide was saying whenever he did offer any words.

Their small group walked slowly, with the dining hall, entrance to the throne room, the hallway that would lead to one of the gardens (which Alfred took mental note of), and several other rooms being shown off before they finally reached the bath house.

The room was large and ornate, with a pool that one could swim in if they so chose. There were plush looking chairs, as well as several benches around the rim of the water, which looked to be steaming. Large stone pillars with naked women and men alike carved into them decorated the edges of the room, with a potted plant in between each pillar. Not only this, but there were flamed candles on either side of each plant, a safe distance away from the leaves, though. In addition to the plants in the fancy pots, there were also vines wrapped around each pillar and draping off the rectangular-shaped overhang. Everything was so perfectly symmetrical and straight-edged, much in contrast to Alfred's family's bath houses. In Cattingstun there were hardly any corners to be found, with the much smaller pools being circular, and beautiful statues celebrating the gods' images could be found in each house. There were also a great deal of candles in Alfred's bath, though that was more of a personal preference than anything else.

"Why is it so big for just one person?"

Alfred could feel both of his Niriktian companions look at him. Ivan's expression was more one of mild confusion, Tolik's face showed his amusement.

"It is communal, little one," the black haired behemoth spoke, chuckling when Alfred's eyes widened. Matthew elbowed his brother, mouthing 'Don't be rude,' before turning to the other prince.

"It is very nice, thank you."

There was a pregnant pause between the lot of them, and Ivan took a small step towards Alfred, lowering his voice slightly and his eyes flashed with something that could have been taken as concern. "Are you...Are you alright?" 

He bit his lip, then released it quickly. "I, ah. Yes. It's just...Well, I have to learn all these new people and places and things but you know everything and-" Matthew placed an arm on one of Alfred's flailing hands. He hadn't even realized that they were moving that erratically.  _ How embarrassing.  _ Yet again Matthew mouthed a word to him, though this time it was accompanied with a motion. 

_ Breathe.  _ The older mimicked inhaling and exhaling with a movement of his arm, and Alfred nodded, following his brother's advice before turning back to Ivan, who was awaiting an answer patiently. 

"There's just so much to learn. You already know most of everything going on. I don't -and please do not mistake this for me complaining-I just want to learn all of it. That's all. I am fine though, I promise." 

"Good then, I suppose. You'll tell me if it gets to be a bit...'much?'" he quoted Alfred from earlier. 

With a relieved smile, Alfred bobbed his head and reaffirmed, "Yes." 

Ivan did not reply out loud, simply nodded again, and motioned just across the hall to continue from where he had left off previously. "Those two bedrooms are yours to choose from, whichever one you would like shall belong to you for the duration of your stay here." Neither brother mentioned the fact that they would sleep with one another anyway. Nor did the bodyguard remark on this fact either, though he knew exactly what the younger boys were thinking. "There are robes and towels on each of your beds, as well as soaps for your hair and skin. Is...Is there anything else you need?" Both boys shook their heads, and Tolik came up behind them and placed one hand on each boy's shoulder.

"Get cleaned up and rest, little ones. Your servants and ours will place your things in your rooms so don't worry about that. The prince and I have some catching up to do, yes?" Ivan nodded anew at this, looking at Alfred once more. In turn, the boy tilted his head slightly, waiting for Ivan to say something, but words never came out of the older man's mouth.

Instead, the large escort released them, and slung an arm around the (barely) smaller man, shooing the Stunnish princess off to their rooms so they could prepare to bathe. He led Ivan off down the hallway, with Alfred watching them go even as Matthew vanished into one of the bedrooms.

"Alfred, come on!" At his brother's call, Alfred moved into the room that Matthew had not, collecting the robe and soaps he had been offered for their baths. He met the older sibling outside in the hallway, peeking into the room to make sure that no one else had decided to clean themselves in the company of the two princes.

"Oh, Alfred, please. With as little as you wear anyway it's a surprise you care so much about bathing with strangers. Even Ivan commented on it!" Alfred wrinkled his nose at the reminder of that conversation. "Besides, this is just how it is done here, you might as well get used to it." The reason why was left unstated, but Alfred understood regardless.

"There's a difference, Mattie!" Alfred whined, holding the items in his arms even closer to his chest.

"Well, the faster you bathe, the less chance you have of running into anyone in here. Gods, Ivan would know if you were complaining earlier."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He could not seem to keep the damned wailing pitch out of his words.

"You're bloody irritating when you do." Matthew smiled at him, then bumped into Alfred's side tenderly. "I am only kidding, he won't find you annoying when you complain. You're too adorable. But father was right, we truly do need to bathe. We can get it over with quickly if you hurry." Slowly bobbing his head in agreement, Alfred slipped into the bath house, marveling at how the blue waters made the rest of the room sparkle almost magically. It was the exact same way back in his homeland, but here the architecture made the experience so new to him. He set his things down on a bench, and began to disrobe, still looking towards the arched doorway for any sign of another person entering.

Matthew was in the water in mere moments, and took it upon himself to splash Alfred's feet in warning. The younger laughed and hurried out of the rest of his clothes and jewelry, climbed into the large pool, and sighed loudly at the heated water. He took a moment to enjoy it, before shoving a decent amount of water towards his older brother's face, cackling in glee when Matthew shrieked in indignation, swimming towards Alfred in order to dunk him underwater. "Shh, shh, Mattie! You're being so  _ loud _ , surely you're bothering someone, knock it off! How immature of you!" The younger of the two teased lightheartedly, still trying to out-maneuver Matthew while giggling. To the older's joy, he didn't even have to lay hands on Alfred to throw him under water, the boy managed that just well on his own when he slipped. Nearly doing a complete front-flip before managing to write himself, Alfred sputtered, "Alright, alright, I give! No more!"

Matthew chuckled and made his way over to the benches with their things, grabbing both of their soaps. He tossed Alfred's to him, and the two set about cleaning their bodies, and Alfred took particular time massaging his hair. It was then that they noticed that a plethora of people began gathering in the doorway of the bathhouse, not to wash themselves, but instead to stare at the new royalty that were guests to the kingdom.

Immediately, any remnants of a smile that were on the younger prince's face vanished, and he looked quickly at his brother, and Matthew looked back at him. Before either could react, both boys heard a loud voice shouting at the people gathered in a foreign language. Matthew understood it, but Alfred did not. Though, what he did comprehend was who exactly the voice belonged to. Neither were surprised to see the bearded face of a friendly giant pop into the doorway once everyone else had scattered.

"I hope they did not bother you too much, little ones. As soon as the guards came inside the palace, everyone rushed to find you two. Quite the conversation pieces you are."

"Thank you for making them leave," was all that Alfred had to say in return. Tolik nodded, and departed from the two of them once again, calling out something about needing to make sure no one would bother them. As he passed, there was a man following right behind him, the flash of silver hair enough to let Alfred recognize him as Ivan. There might have been a brief lock of eyes between them, but it was over before the Stunnish prince could tell if he was imagining it or not.

After the pair of Niriktians and the crowd left, Alfred quickly dunked his head underwater again, rinsing the last of the soaps from his hair, and hurried to the edge of the pool to grab his towel, covering himself with it even as he was exiting the pool. Matthew was not as quick to follow, but his younger brother waited patiently for him on a bench. Now that he was dried off a bit, and robe in place he felt much better. As much as he loved to be the center of attention in most circumstances, there was just something...So entirely vulnerable about being naked around others. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely relaxed about his nudeness around Matthew either, though they had bathed with each other since childhood. Not to mention the time they had swum in a neighboring duke's swimming pool completely revealed but...Well, in short that was not their best decision. Especially not so when they were found by said duke minutes later.

Once the older boy exited the bath, he dried off and slipped on his own robe, and the two made their way to Alfred's bedroom to rest. Of course Alfred forgot to collect the soaps and towels on the bench, but the first born did not. Matthew was just a couple steps behind his brother, checking each direction in the hallway to make sure that no one would follow them. When it looked like the coast was clear, he turned his attention back towards the room, and saw Alfred's reaction before he called out excitedly.

"Mattie! Look at what I found on my bed!"

And just like that Alfred's mood took a turn for the better. In his hands was a bottle of perfume, and a semi-transparent scarf that was red in color. When Matthew reached out to touch it, he found that it was incredibly soft, and Alfred smiled. "Did you get one too? Go check!" While he waited for his brother to do as ordered, he smelled the perfume in his hands and found that it smelled of trees and wood, even a little bit like smoke from a fire. Never before had he smelled such a perfume, as the only ones he had ever had in his homeland were of a more floral or fruity essence. Even still, he appreciated this gift.

However, when Matthew came back empty-handed, Alfred tilted his head just a small bit in confusion, a habit formed from childhood. "Did you not receive anything?"

Matthew shook his head, but when he leaned to peek behind his brother, he pointed to a slip of paper that still remained on the bed. "You missed something." Alfred turned, and upon confirming that the older was telling the truth, he went back to the large piece of furniture and clambered on it, snatching up the paper. He read quickly, and his face flushed.

"What does it say?"

"Ah...It just says 'I hope you enjoy this. It is the scent I use. From Ivan.'"

"Oh." No wonder Matthew hadn't gotten his own gift during their time in the bath.

Alfred nodded turning his back so that he could press the cloth to his face and breath in the smell in peace. It smelled exactly like the perfume. Carefully placing both scarf and bottle of fragrance off to the side, he then patted the space on the bed next to him. "Come on, Mattie. I'm tired and we still have a while until dinner." Even though his voice was nearing the whine of a child again, as anyone in the world could have expected, Matthew listened to Alfred. He closed the door behind them and locked it before climbing onto the plush mattress with his brother. They took a few moments to adjust themselves and get comfortable, with Alfred resting his cheek on Matthew's shoulder and shutting his eyes. Their legs were entangled, and neither would be able to stave off sleep for much longer.

Smiling gently, Matthew smoothed the hair away from his brother's eyes, and mumbled, "Sleep well, Al."

"You too, Mattie."

\----------------

"Does he hate me?"

Tolik turned to look at the speaker, surprise evident in his large face. "Since when has  _ Ivan Braginski _ , second in line to the Vil Nirikt throne, ever cared what people thought of him?"

Ivan sneered, his lip curling before responding, "I am not to marry most people, now am I?" 

"That is true lad, you just startled me is all. It's not every day I hear that you worry over another person. Even more so when it is their  _ thoughts _ you concern yourself with."

"What exactly would you know of my feelings about anyone?!" the younger man hissed, taking a large step towards his servant, the man that his parents had entrusted to take care of Ivan's fiancee, the man who-

"You do remember that it was I who assisted in raising you, do you not? I know you a lot better than most, Ivan. Now stop this fit, it is a good day." Ivan flinched at the man's scolding, and turned to the side, inciting a sigh from Tolik, who continued speaking, changing the subject back to the aforementioned question. "He does not hate you. I do not think Alfred hates anyone on this earth honestly. He simply needs to get used to you, to get to know you a bit better, yes?" The prince nodded, albeit slowly.

When Ivan spoke again, it was much softer, and the older man could barely hear the words. "What should I do?"

He thought for a moment, sitting back in his chair even as the young sovereign paced. "Give him something. A meaningful present...Something that would remind him of you, make you seem more familiar." A silver head perked up upon hearing this. Ivan had an idea, Tolik recognized the look on his face. He moved from his position that was mid-pace, and rummaged through his drawers for a quick second. The guard watched on curiously, quirking a brow when he saw that Ivan pulled out a bottle of something and a red cloth.

"Yekaterina told me..." A quick pause to sprinkle just a little of the liquid on the cloth, "That a lover of hers gave her a shawl with his perfume on it. She said it was one of the nicest presents she ever... _ 'Was graced with receiving' _ ." As soon as he finished his snide quote, Ivan held out the gift to Tolik, and only then could the man see that it was a scarf. A nice looking one at that. He accepted the transfer of items into his hands, and nodded approvingly.

At once, Ivan was off again, finding a small piece of parchment and a quill to write on. He took a moment to stop his shaking hands before jotting down the simple words, "I hope you like this. Sincerely, Ivan." Though as soon as he was done, he scrunched his nose, crumbled up the paper and shoved it into a bin to be thrown out later. It took three more tries before Torik came over to watch over him, thoughtfully mumbling, "Just make it simple, lad. Tell him that you hope he likes it, that it is the scent you use, and sign your name." Ivan did as he was instructed, and finally rubbed a hand down his face before folding the paper in half, and once again taking the gifts from Tolik's hands. He sniffed the scarf once, confirming that once the item reached Alfred it would indeed smell like himself.

The prince began to leave the room, with his husband-to-be's (and his own past) guard following close behind him. "Ivan, what is your plan?"

"To leave it on his bed." He made his way through those who had gathered to search for the visiting royal family.

"And if he is in his room?"

Ivan stopped to turn around and look Tolik in the eye. "Then I will wait." With that, he turned back around and kept walking. Those who knew Ivan knew to stay the hell out of his way whenever he was going somewhere. The last girl that hadn't gotten out of the way fast enough was pushed into a wall hard enough to break her nose. In whatever defense could be had for that incident, Ivan's father was directly behind him and the boy was simply trying to impress him. It had worked well enough to earn him a nod.

Now though, as they reached the bathhouse that was across from their rooms, they could see that a congregation had just recently gathered outside. The two men shared a glance, and Tolik moved to dissipate the crowd while Ivan quickly slipped into the room he had earlier seen Alfred claim. He placed the colored scarf down first, followed by the note, and the fragrance bottle on top of it. Satisfied with his work, he stepped out of the room, noting that Tolik had cleared out the people bothering Alfred and his brother... _ What was his name again?...Not important. _ The larger man exchanged a few words in Stunnish tongue with them, leaving with Ivan following him this time around.

He had had every intention of ignoring the two while they were bathing, but he couldn't stop himself from turning to gaze at Alfred once more. Though he made absolutely sure that his eyes did not stray from the younger man's face. He was simply magnificent, there was no other words invented yet to describe him. His elder brother wasn't unattractive by any means, but there was just...Something within the younger that Ivan felt himself drawn to. His violet eyes met such bright blue ones that he felt himself abashed, and walked as quickly as he could away from them. Despite his (hopefully) cool demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous if Alfred would like his gift, or even accept it. Visions of the blonde angrily returning the present at dinner briefly crossed his mind before Ivan set his face in a small scowl and pushed them out. There were several hours yet until Ivan would see Alfred next anyway.

Both prince and protector strolled about the castle, double-checking that everything was perfect for their guests. There was one small incident where the visiting queen's vanity had not yet been wiped clean. However, that mistake was rectified before she even entered the room. Everything else seemed to be in order. 

Tolik tried to make idle conversation with Ivan, but the younger man would have none of it. He cut off any of Tolik's words with queries about how the journey was, or if he thought the guests would enjoy their stay at the Niriktian palace. He also found himself asking a few questions about what Cattingstun was like. Despite this, he absolutely refused to let the conversation wander to either of the Stunnish princes, notably more so regarding Alfred. 

The large man was ever the quick learner though. Slyly he would bring up certain small mannerisms that Alfred had, such as he could never be found far from Matthew.  _ Ah, that was his name. _ Or that sometimes when he was embarrassed, he would place a hand behind his neck and look off to the side. Evidently the boy could get quite bashful, and his freckled face would turn as red as a tomato. "Speaking of the little one's ability to change colors, make sure he gets some sun while he is here. It would be a shame to see him turn sickly pale in the winter, would it not?"

With a quick sigh, Ivan retorted, "I am perfectly capable of finding these things out about my husband. And if I see fit to bring him out in the sun during winter then I will do so."

His outburst was met with a laugh, as they usually were. "Oh, you know I can never take you seriously when you get high-and-mighty, your majesty. Besides, you're already calling him your  _ husband _ ." Ever the gentle giant, Tolik bowed respectfully, chuckling before turning and walking away. Ivan made to follow with several choice remarks when he heard a voice that made him cringe.

"Where have you been?"

No wonder Tolik had taken his leave. Not only was his younger sister here, but Yekaterina was nowhere in sight. He faced Natalya then, making his body posture as stiff as possible.

"That, dear sister, is none of your business."

"Were you with  _ him _ ?" The word was spat with such venom that he immediately knew to whom she referred. Nevertheless, today was simply not the day that he could entertain her without any other company aiding him. Instead of answering, Ivan began to brush past her. Of  _ course _ this wouldn't work, and she immediately attached herself to his arm. Try as hard as he might he could not shake off her hold. So he allowed it glumly. There would come a day where she would be married and sent to another kingdom, far, far away from him. He couldn't wait.

Though he would not admit it out loud, he was desperately searching for either Yekaterina or anyone really that would serve as some sort of distraction. He could find no one but servants, and thus he was forced to at least make some conversation with his sister.

"I have been searching for you for  _ hours _ , brother."

"Natalya we have not been separated for  _ hours _ . I was busy, and still am. Unfortunately you drove off the only person who was helping me accomplish what I needed to."

Her face set into a pout. "I can help!"

The mannerism would be cute if not for his complete and utter apathy. "No. No I am afraid you cannot. Could you run off and find our sister? I am sure she would enjoy your company much more than I." Before Natalya could respond to his hurtful comment, the exact person Ivan had been hoping for arrived in the nick of time.

"Sister! You cannot just run off in the middle of arranging flowers! You left me all alone to arrange that bouquet, and you know just how large it was. Why, I have half a mind to tell father that you shirked your responsibilities yet again. I will not though, do not give me that look. Hello, brother." He bowed his head in acknowledgement and was happy to see her, long-winded speeches and all.

"Hello, Yekaterina. Please take Natalya."

"Ivan, please, it is Katyusha. But yes, of course. Natalya, come along now." It took a few long seconds before the youngest princess detached herself from Ivan's side, and the moment could not come soon enough. "Was she a bother to you?"

He had a slight desire to say yes, but he shook his head instead to avoid trouble. His elder sister nodded and smiled at the both of her siblings before practically dragging the youngest of the Braginski children away, scolding lightly all the while. 

Now that that was taken care of, Ivan continued making his rounds around the castle. And if he stayed a considerable distance away from the wing where Alfred and Matthew were to be staying, well, that was for a perfectly good reason. Since he was alone again, his thoughts turned back towards the bright eyed boy he was to be marrying soon. He had yet to see his true smile, which he heard was quite gorgeous. He also had yet to see him laugh, or eat. Both of which he was assured there would be a lot of. He wondered if he would be able to spend any time alone with Alfred before their matrimony, since he was constantly with his brother...So he had heard. Ivan could not imagine spending that much time with Yekaterina, much less Natalya. From what he had seen from the bathhouse though, it was so foreign, the way they acted. Light and happy like they had hardly a care in the world. It took an usually long amount of time to arrive (a few minutes), but when the thought came to Ivan, it refused to leave.

_ He isn't going to like you. _

Despite how much he tried to convince himself that it didn't even matter if his betrothed liked him or not-it was an arranged marriage for a reason-the feeling of a punch to the gut felt very real. Even then it took him a few minutes to understand why he had felt that. He did care if he was liked by this boy, though he hadn't the slightest idea why. This was why he had asked Tolik about if Alfred had hated him or not. This was why he felt nervous whenever anyone mentioned the Stunnish prince. This was why he had wanted to give him a present that he liked. This was why... _ Oh, fuck. Shut  _ up. But there was no one else to order a cease and desist. And the only person who would never listen to such a command was himself. Ivan rubbed his face with his hands, slumping against a wall in an empty corridor.  _ Since when have I cared what anyone thought about me is right. Gods I hate Tolik. _

The fact of the matter was that Ivan Braginski, the great and horrible, merciless and bloody, brutish and evil, was brought to his knees by the opinion of a small pretty-faced boy.

Peeling himself up off the wall, Ivan began to make his way back to his room where he could lock himself in for at least a brief while. Truthfully, he hadn't heard of anyone actually marrying for love instead of political gain in...Actually, come to think of it he had never heard of such a thing. Not in his home country at the very least. He wondered what it was like in Cattingstun, if the people there were able to love and wed whomever one wanted. To grow old in each other's arms and still have such affection for the same person sounded like such a wonderful thing. Correction: wonderfully stupid. If it was so in Alfred's kingdom then everyone was foolish. His mother had taught him that love was weak when she had Dietrich murdered. Even if his older sister had spared Ivan the worst of the details, he had found out anyway. Several members of the group had forced the boy to suck their cocks before they took his life because of his relationship to the prince. To imagine such a thing happening again...To Alfred...No. No, he would not let that happen. He would not let such weaknesses interject themselves into his marriage. If he had to do so to keep Alfred safe then that would be fine. 

_ Look at me, talking about love when I do not even know him. I could end up hating him minutes after our wedding. He could end up hating me even more.  _ Though deep down he knew that he could never dislike the boy if he tried.

While navigating his way to his chambers, Ivan found himself moving automatically, shutting down any real powers of observation he possessed. This led to many people clambering to get out of his path though he paid them no mind. Truthfully it would have been a wonder if he even noticed had anyone actually ran into him. 

Once inside his chambers he shut the door forcefully and bolted it. It was a large wooden thing that provided several inches between him and the outside hallway. Kicking off his shoes was not exactly the easiest task when he was making his way to his bed, but Ivan managed. He threw himself down on it, remarking to himself that his old bed would have creaked noisily had he performed the same move. This one didn't make a sound aside from a muffled thud when his body hit the mattress. Sturdy new furniture indeed. 

There was no need to mope as he did, but the man allowed himself this for a few moments.

Correction, again: he allowed himself to bemoan his lack of any form of social skills and his insecurities. Did other people find themselves nearly shaking with nervousness when giving someone a gift? 

_ Most people do not have to give gifts to people that they have only spoken to once. Oh and that they are to be marrying in just a matter of weeks. How perfect.  _

As much as he wanted to cut himself some sort of break for how he felt, Ivan was still cursing himself for feeling this anxious about a  _ stupid fucking present that doesn't even mean anything.  _

"Gods this is _ ludicrous!"  _ Ivan rolled onto his back, running his hands through his hair. "He will accept this fucking donation of my time and energy if the brat knows what's good for him." Realistically, Ivan knew that even if the boy personally did not like the gift, it would be accepted for fear of straining any foreign relationships or whatever. Yet the Niriktian prince was stressing about this as though he was actually courting Alfred.  _ Three steps ahead of that already, aren't we? _

A knock to his door stopped Ivan's complaining abruptly, and a scowl set about his face. "Who is it?" He called out rather unkindly. 

"Just open the door, Ivan. I know exactly what you are doing in there and stroking your cock isn't exactly being productive now is it-" 

When the prince flung the door open he could nearly feel his nostrils flaring. Close, but not quite. "What the hell do you want, Francis?" 

The foreign man faked a look of surprise, leaning to the side to glance behind Ivan, then returning to his upright position. "My, either you clean up quickly or you really weren't fucking your hand in there!" At Ivan's unimpressed look, Francis offered up a smile. "Is this really any way to greet your friends? I haven't seen you in so long and you open the door ready to beat me half to death I'm sure!" 

"Who said we were friends?" Even at these words, Ivan turned his body to allow Francis into his room. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath to steel himself for what was to come in this conversation. 

As the foreigner stepped past him, he let out a sniff and a mock sob. "I will not lie to you, Ivan, that hurt my feelings." 

Ivan closed the door behind the man, bolting it once again. "I grant you permission to save your theatrics for someone who would actually care for them." 

Their banter was never as hostile as they made it seem. Or rather, Ivan's side of the exchanges was never as antagonistic as he let on. Francis was an informant, as well as someone Ivan very occasionally allowed into his presence when he served no use. The man was from Brela, a country more to the west from Vil Nirikt, yet no less north. Francis worked as an information collector purely for Ivan's own interests. He was not paid for his work, simply promised that he would be spared a knife in the throat when he proved himself to be more annoying than once thought. Francis would be the first to tell you though that he sought out rumors and intelligence more because it was a game to him rather than any sort of loyalty. He could be a dangerous man with as many connections as he had, and Ivan was glad that for whatever reason the Brelan decided to align himself with the prince. Currently, the man was aligning himself with Ivan's pillows, lying down in the sheets and propping his head up on his hand. Before Ivan could demand again to know why Francis 'forced' himself into his room, the man spoke. 

"You've seen the new princes I assume? Absolutely beautiful. Stunning! If you would pardon the joke. It truly isn't fair that I have never seen anyone like them. All of my lovers and not a single Stunnish one, how odd. And you get to bed one for the rest of your live, you lucky bastard! Matthew is certainly attractive don't get me wrong, but Alfred, gods above I would love to stick my dick in him. He'd be such a pretty little whore-" 

" _ Don't _ ," Ivan growled out before he could stop himself. His next words were spoken more calmly. "Do not talk about him like that." 

"So you do like him!" Apparently the look Ivan gave him was enough to have Francis clapping excitedly. "There was never any need to worry, dear Ivan. His older brother is more suited to my tastes anyway. I always did like the quiet ones." 

With a snort, Ivan responded, "Since when?" Before the other had a chance to answer, he continued on. "How do you know which is the quiet one anyway?" 

Francis stared at him blankly, this time with actual shock rather than false dramatizations. "I was gone for a month and a half and you never noticed I was in Cattingstun?!" 

Ivan shrugged, examining his nails. "No, I noticed you were gone alright. Your disgusting perfume didn't clog my nostrils every time I stepped out of my room. Plus you weren't bothering me every few days so I definitely noticed that you were missing. I just never cared where you went." 

After a few more moments of gaping, the Brelan cleared his throat and progressed. "Well. I would  _ like _ to say I'm surprised with you but I'm not. Though I never did see them really, just dealt with paperwork mostly. Oh gods it was boring work, there were many times that I thought I would die from sheer boredom. And the amount of times they feed you there! Makes Vil Nirikt look stingy." Ivan was growing visibly more irritated the more Francis rambled. "Anyway, I just thought you would like to know about the conversation I had with the two of them." It was clearly evident that Ivan's attention snapped back to Francis, with the way that his head jerked up again, violet eyes boring into the other's own. He nodded expectantly, but Francis saw fit to let him dangle for a few moments more. "Though if you are not interested I can take my leave." He dragged himself upwards, swinging his legs off the bed and stretched with a loud yawn.  _ Au revoir _ my prince! Rest well until dinner!" 

"Francis you know damn well if you do not sit your ass down and speak I will shove my fist down your throat and-" 

"Oh! They truly are lovely boys!" It took the blink of an eye for the Brelan to be laying on his stomach once more, this time with his legs bent and both hands supporting his blonde head. Alfred really is a funny lad, you know. I knocked on their door-must have interrupted him from a nap-and he answered it, rubbing his eyes, oh the sweet little one. His robe was half open so he was practically revealing himself to me and you know what he said?" 

Deciding to ignore the robe remark, Ivan asked, "How could I possibly know what he said?" 

"What he  _ said,"  _ Francis continued on, paying no mind to Ivan's dry jab. "Was, 'Did we sleep through dinner?' It wasn't funny in the way that you would laugh at it, but it was charming certainly. Well, and then they let me into the room-" 

"They?" 

"Yes, well I suppose they nap together. Matthew and Alfred that is. Anyway, they invited me in and I noticed a little red scarf on the bedside table. A little red scarf that I distinctly remember giving you, Ivan." 

The prince nodded slowly, taking in everything that Francis was telling him, as well as giving him a moment to think of an appropriate response. It was rude of him to give away a present, he knew this, but did not care very much. "You know I only wear the scarves that Yekaterina knits me. Alfred would get more use out of it anyway."  _ I hope.  _

"Oh! Getting to see him in my scarf would be wonderful! Almost makes him mine, doesn't it?" 

Again, Ivan closed his eyes shut, and when he spoke he did so with them still sealed. "No, Francis. No it does not." 

"Hmpf. Well in any case, if you joke around with Alfred, he's a very open person. For once I was the one who had to excuse myself from the conversation first. Not because I wanted to, you understand." The last sentence was said hurriedly, as if Ivan cared at all about when Francis needed to be where and whatnot. "He asked about you, actually." The Brelan chuckled when yet again Ivan twitched upward. "You are always so transparent, my friend. You look at the boy once and immediately you become possessive and needy for him and-"

"Francis." 

He was not done teasing the prince just yet, but he let it slide. Even he knew when he was beginning to breach the line of 'too far.' Francis Bonnefoy always had a penchant for picking up on the subtleties of a person that revealed their true feelings. As he had come to find out, there was hardly anyone who very much liked these mannerisms pointed out to them. Least of all Ivan, who could and would smash his head through a wall if he was pressed enough. Francis wouldn't even protest the fact that he deserved such treatment. It was a very invasive practice on his part. This fact did not make what he said any less true though, especially when Ivan was being so glaringly obvious about it. Never before had Francis seen him so invested in another person. Much less someone that the prince hardly knew. Even then 'hardly' was a bit of a stretch for what Ivan did learn about the boy. "Very well. Alfred asked what you were doing is all. I told him that I hadn't the slightest clue. He seemed a little disappointed but understanding. Very pleasant boy he is. Matthew didn't speak much during all this, just watched my every move it seemed."

"Is that all then?" Francis nodded, rolling over and scooting his way off the bed in a fluid motion. As soon as his feet were on the ground again he began walking away.

"Do not forget, Ivan. Dinner is in just a short while. Turns out that you'll be seated directly next to-guess who!" At Ivan's grimace, the other man continued on. "No guesses? Alright. Alfred! You'll be seated next to Alfred!" He didn't need to be yelled at to leave before he unbolted the door and slipped out, closing it behind himself. There were several things that Francis was. Handsome, witty, and an absolute prick. He carried these titles with pride. 

Inside the bedroom, Ivan was busy with washing and straightening himself up. During this time, he allowed himself to think. There was never much of that allotted when his informant and...Begrudgingly, acquaintance was around. It was always about  _ feelings  _ whenever he was around, never any time for logic.  _ Gods why is he the second person already to have told me how I feel for Alfred?! I don't even know how i feel! _

Ivan slammed a drawer to his chest close, making the entire thing rattle. He switched between thoughts and speech while he was shuffling around his room, organizing everything that was already done.  _ Tolik and Francis...Damn them both.  _ "As if they know  _ everything  _ about me!"  _ 'Oh you are so enamored with Alfred! You cannot wait to marry him!' But gods forbid that I decide anything for myself.  _ "I am not a fucking child!" Another drawer slammed, this time very nearly cracking the wood to his nightstand. Despite his internal declaration against his adolescence, Ivan found himself struggling not to just kick the damned furniture in annoyance. Instead he began rearranging his furniture. Placing a chest on one side of the room, and a sword holder on the other. Once this task was finished, Ivan let out a loud "FUCK" upon realizing that he liked his room better how it was. Another twenty minutes were wasted putting everything back in order before he heard yet another knock on his door. 

With a barely composed, "Yes?" he opened the door to reveal a smaller servant. Ivan hadn't seen her before but then again he rarely bothered to look at his staff enough to recognize them. 

"Dinner, your royal highness, is ready." She turned away quickly, most likely too intimidated by the prince to stay and chat. Regardless, he took just another moment to wash the sweat off of his face and his neck, spraying some of his cologne on himself-only sparing a brief thought of whether Alfred would recognize the scent or not. And with that he was off. Tense as he was he felt somewhat exhilarated. Making a mental objective to talk to the Stunnish prince, Ivan opened the doors to the dining hall, too impatient to wait for the servants to do it. As soon as he laid his eyes on Alfred again his breath left him, and he had to fight down a small smile. Tonight he would speak to Alfred and everything would turn out well. 

Oh gods did he hope. 

  
  


\------------------------------------------

Vil Nirikt, 1355

 

_ Blonde hair, bright smile, with enough sarcasm in his body to put anyone to shame. That was what was currently flying towards Ivan faster than he has anyone seen move. It was all he could do to block with his arm, and even then the bastard still clipped his chin. He could feel a little bit of blood trickle down it, meaning that one punch would probably have been enough to dislocate his jaw if he hadn't reacted quickly enough.  _

_ "Braginski, you, ah." Ivan's eyes snapped to meet the boy's. "You have a little something," he tapped his chin. "Right there. Oh, no! You missed it, look, look where I'm pointing-come on now, right-"  _

_ The prince's answer to other's taunting was to smash his fist into his stomach. That certainly wiped the smile off his his face at least. This time it was Ivan's turn to taunt as the giddy expression turned into more of a snarl. The two exchanged fists and kicks, at one point Ivan even going as far as to smash his forehead into the boy's face, nearly breaking his nose. There was a gush of blood that erupted, and the blonde backed away with a bark of pain. He nearly fell flat on his ass if it weren't for the fence that bordered the ring stopping him.  _

_ "You have a little something, ah...There." Ivan motioned to the entirety of his lower face and grinned in an awful manner. It was an asshole move on his part, true, but he enjoyed it.  _

_ "Yeah, real funny you fucking onion-eyed codpiece."  _

_ Ever the eloquent one he was. After just a moment's rest for the both of them, they charged towards each other. The boy's fist connected with Ivan's eye, and Ivan's half-open palm crashed down on the other's throat. Both of them went down in that moment, and their instructor called a halt. The older man jogged over to them and helped first Ivan up, then the boy immediately after him. The prince wanted nothing more than to stomp his opponent's face in until there was nothing but a pulpy mess, but he refrained from doing so. Anger was useful. Rage was a distraction.  _

_ "Good work, Braginsky, Gavrikov." As man then went on to drone about things that the two fighters could have done to 'better their performances' Ivan felt the urge of violence flood out of him. Now all Ivan could concentrate on was the way the boy smiled even though he still had blood in his teeth. On the way that he was favoring his right leg, as Ivan had kicked it out rather forcefully from him earlier. His competitor had incredibly control over his body, which is how he was able to move so fast. This was the only reason he was able to do as much damage was he was earlier, and the three people standing in that ring currently all knew this. Ivan was so much bigger, had more stamina, and the sheer fact that he refused to go down was what helped him in every single fight he had participated in. 'His will power knows no bounds' he had heard his swords master joke about at some point. Well...he was not wrong.  _

_ Only once Ivan was addressed by his hand-to-hand fighting teacher did he allow his attention to wander back into the conversation. He was told a few things, given a few tips about what to do in their next fight, another congratulations on a job well done, and then the two boys were dismissed to wash up and go about the rest of their days. The prince had no problem with them going their separate ways, the other though... _

_ "We really kicked each other's asses, yeah?"  _

_ Ivan stopped walking and stared very pointedly at the shorter one, and the boy nervously pushed a lock of blonde hair behind his ear when he came to a halt by the prince's side.  _

_ "Well, I mean...You kicked mine. And I did a number on you too, you can't deny that. I wouldn't be surprised if your eye swelled shut before tomorrow comes." This time the only response Ivan offered was a snort, and a roll of his eyes. From there he continued his stride towards the bathing house. He barely made it three steps before he was nearly tripping over the lesser-born nobleman once again.  _

_ "Did you want to bathe together? Not to be weird about it, but you always disappear after we spar, and it might be nice to-"  _

_ "What? You want to be...what exactly? We have done nothing but fight each other every other day for a week now and you just now want to become companions? Shall we become inseparable now, hm? The very best of friends?" The cocky grin that had taken up the other's face began to fade and was slowly replaced with a scowl. He took a breath in, but it took him a few moments to speak, seemingly trying to find the proper words. He knew he was addressing a prince but that didn't stop him from yelling in frustration. _

_ "Gods Ivan, will you relax? I just thought it might be nice if we got to know each other a bit more when we are constantly drilling our hands into very painful places. This is perfect though! You already have given me a wonderful idea of who you are! You. Are. An. Absolute. JACKASS!" The last word was said with such ferocity that even Ivan was taken aback just a bit. The boy stormed off, leaving the prince standing there with his mouth decidedly  _ not  _ hanging open, it was just how he so chose to intake air currently.  _

_ "W...Wait," he spoke hesitantly, not even sure the more furious of the two would even hear him. And yet he did, whirling around with his brows so furrowed they nearly looked to be one.  _

_ "I am...I...What I said was...I would like to..." There was no easy way to say this, especially for Ivan, but he was trying. _

_ "Are you attempting to apologize?" Ivan looked away sharply, taking a few seconds to even bring himself to nod his head. What he was met with was a surprisingly cheery laugh, and the other boy looking directly into Ivan's eyes as if he had any right to. The prince allowed this, though he wasn't exactly positive as to the reason why. Even his own sisters had slight problems meeting their brother's gaze, so why could this boy manage this so easily? "You're doing a real shitty job of it then, aren't you?"  _

_ He let out a small breath that nearly seemed like a laugh, and replied, "Yes. I don't find myself doing it often. Most of the time if someone angers me they apologize first." _

_ "Oh goodness, does that make me," a pause for an exaggerated gasp, "Special? You're being so nice and you didn't even buy me a drink first!" This time Ivan did laugh, and when he opened his eyes fully again he found the boy was smiling at him. His expression was soft, and suddenly the laugh in Ivan's throat died away and was replaced with something else.  _

_ "I haven't used a bathhouse with someone else since I was old enough to be trusted to actually wash behind my ears."  _

_ "That means you'll come then?"  _

_ "Yes. And I'll get you that drink afterwards if you would like."  _

_ "Gods, Braginski, you truly are the  _ best _." The way that he said it was so falsified, and the way he batted his eyelashes immediately after caused the two of them to begin laughing again, and Ivan wiped the sweat-drenched hair from his face before starting off again. His opponent followed suit and the two of them walked slowly and sorely so they could finally clean themselves off.  _

_ "Dietrich?" Ivan hated the way that he said the boy's name like a question, but the other didn't seem to mind. They were stripping themselves of their clothes now and putting everything on the benches offered.  _

_ "Yes?"  _

_ "I'm sorry."  _

_ The boy grinned again and nudged Ivan with his elbow. "See, that wasn't so hard was it?" Ivan felt the corners of his mouth turn upward again, and shoved Dietrich into the water to hide it.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY SO!! i was waiting for a friend to proofread this before i posted but she got caught up in school work so i totally understand, but that's why there are any typo's/mistakes if there are any!! pLEEEEASE feel free to let me know if you do find a mistake, i wanna fix em as soon as i can!! 
> 
> you can follow me on tumblr [whillowed.tumblr.com](whillowed.tumblr.com) if you have any questions or want updates on the fic!


	7. Chapter 7

Cattingstun, 1350

 

_ The weather was absolutely sweltering. Alfred could not remember a time when he wasn't sweating or when he didn't need to take a water break every four minutes in fear of passing out. Even still, the summer season was his favorite of the year. Both his and Matthew's birthdays were soon and neither of them could wait. Since their birthdays were only three days apart, celebrations were held off until the fifth of the month, the day after Alfred's birth date. Every year nobles of varying importance, as well as many business owners, and simple countrymen came to congratulate the boys on making it another year in this world. Servants worked hard to make the day as special for them as possible, and once everything was over and cleaned up, they were all granted two days off to rest or whatever they so chose. _

_ It was a grand occasion, especially so for Alfred this year as he was turning ten years old. Though, every time he proclaimed that he was "practically a grown up!" to his older brother, Matthew just laughed and tousled his brother's hair. Regardless, Alfred refused to give up this idea. _

_ Putting all that aside, the younger boy was excited to go swimming today. It was finally hot enough that his and Matthew's parents allowed them to go out to the large outdoor pool. It did take so long for the water to warm up enough to a suitable temperature, and after Alfred sticking his arm in the water yesterday and confirming with a large smile that it was 'perfect,' both Clara and Arthur agreed to let them go. _

_ Typical of a child, Alfred was practically pulling his brother along with him, skipping while trying to keep himself from stumbling. It worked to an extent. Matthew was chuckling quietly, trying to protect his twelve year old pride even though he was arguably just as excited. _

_ When they got to the pool they found that several other children had gathered there, and Alfred was even more excited to splash around and play games. His older brother held back a little bit, always being the more shy of the two. Eventually though he did join in, letting himself be as mirthful as everyone else in the group was that day. Being a child was so much more simple then, when they did not have to worry about selling heirlooms in order to keep the country supplied. When they did not have to worry about the stress of politics, exchanging favors for economic support, paying back debts owed, and so on. _

_ Now they were just able to spray each other with water and giggle as children should. _

_ The brothers spent near three hours in the pool with their newfound friends, and the only reason they left was their father jogging down the path calling out to them. _

_ As they got out, Alfred showed Matthew how wrinkled his skin had become, and Matthew smiled and kept him in line until they reached Arthur. They quickly realized that there was something wrong. Arthur was tense, his face full of concern and worry, though it eased just a bit as soon as he found his sons. Before either could ask what the matter was, he pulled them into his arms, resting his head on the top of Alfred's, pausing for a moment to catch his breath and kiss each of their foreheads. _

_ "What's wrong?!" Matthew asked, growing more frightened the longer his father said nothing. _

_ "There's been an accident-a fire, I was so scared, thank gods you two are alright. If..." He said nothing else after that, simply pulling his two boys tighter against him. _

_ "Is everyone okay?" It was Alfred's turn to pose a question, and all the king could do was shake his head a bit before pulling back and smoothing the wet hair from the younger boy's face. Alfred's brows bunched together and he could already feel his eyes begin to well up with tears. He looked up at Matthew for a brief moment, finding no solace from him. His older brother was just as upset as he, though he was not showing it as openly. "But no one d...No one died right?" He could barely force out the words. His father would not answer him, instead turning his face away and staring at the grass surrounding them. "No one died...Right? If-if they're not okay now, they will be, right?" _

_ "Oh, Alfred." Alfred whipped around to face his brother, face crumbling more and more with each passing second. Matthew hugged him, letting the younger sob on his shoulder. He looked up to their father, and Arthur stood up, leading his children back to their mother. _

_ As it turned out, the fire was purely what Arthur had told his boys. An accident-a result of no one paying attention to the fact that there was flammable materials too close to the cooking flames. One spark led to another led to another, and there were a few who were not able to escape the room before it could be put out. Alfred wasn't told how many people had perished for a long time, but he managed to figure it out when the woman who helped him with history lessons no longer showed up. He managed to figure it out when the man who would sneak treats to him was replaced by an older woman with a sad smile and an extra dessert offered out of pity. He managed to figure it out when he saw one less face sweeping up the grand hall every other day. Though both boys were assured it was no one's fault, Alfred couldn't help but blame himself since everyone was trying to get things ready for his and Matthew's birthday. _

_ "Things happen, Alfred. Bad things, good things. You can't control it, so it's...useless to blame yourself." _

_ It took a few weeks for him to finally come to terms with the fact that it wasn't his fault, with his brother's helpful words in mind. Even still, to experience loss at such a young age hurt. _

 

_ \------------------------------------------ _

Vil Nirikt, 1360

 

When Ivan walked into the dining hall, everyone was already seated. With the exception of one other guest, he was the absolute last person there. And of course those who were seated in view of the door looked at him as he walked in, and everyone who  _ wasn't _ in view of the door made it a point to turn around and do exactly the same. There was a certain blue eyed individual he was most nervous about seeing him, but said person happened to be the only one who did not twist in his chair to face the newcomer. As he approached the table, finally he could see the boy begin to move to face him, and Ivan immediately straightened his posture and set his face in an expressionless mask. Or he hoped that's what it looked like at the very least. Perhaps that was not the best technique though, if Alfred's alarmed features were any indication. He whirled back around until Ivan sat next to him, and only then did he chance a glance back up at him again.

Ivan coughed, and noticed that the younger prince was not wearing the scarf he had given to him. He tried not to let the brutal sting show, but it was a struggle. It almost felt like a slap in the face, but honestly what should he have expected? Alfred had no reason to accept the gift, it was too forward, and too...Too whatever Alfred thought it was. Maybe it wasn't pretty enough for him, oh gods Ivan had given him an ugly present that he didn't like at all. He probably hated it and was just waiting for the right moment to tell him just that. Ivan wondered if Alfred would be the kind to let someone down gently or be outright with his rejection. He tried to take his mind off of it by looking at his sisters. Natalia was glaring at Alfred-expected. Yekaterina was switching between smiling at the younger boy and Ivan himself-also expected.

What was unexpected was that when Alfred reached out to take a drink of wine, the red cloth was wrapped around his wrist. This time he was unable to contain his excitement. Though he did a fairly decent job of not sounding like an over-reactive infant when he spoke. "You're wearing it." His statement was met with a cock of one eyebrow and a prolonged sip of the wine. Ivan prayed that Alfred wasn't trying to get drunk to deal with him. He didn't say anything in reply yet, so Ivan continued. "The scarf I...that I gave you. I didn't see you wearing it when I came in so I thought that perhaps you did not...that you didn't like it."

Alfred glanced down at his wrist, as though he too was surprised by the fact that he was wearing it. "Oh. Well, I, uh, didn't want it to get dirty. Because we're eating and if food fell on it then I would feel bad and you might get angry because I ruined your present within just a few hours of receiving it and trust me, I do like it very much and-I'm rambling again, I apologize." He took a breath after all of this and blushed very faintly. Ivan smiled at him and nodded. Alfred would've made for a terrible spy.

But Ivan found this endearing rather than obnoxious, and though he didn't say anything for a while after that, his mood was immediately lightened by this simple gesture.

Dinner, once it was served, was largely uneventful. Alfred was still seated next to the much larger prince, who barely uttered a word the entire time. Then again, where else would he have gone?

Appetizers came and went without Ivan saying anything other than a stiff 'I hope you enjoy everything.'

During the entree he managed a, "Did you rest well before dinner?" Alfred replied that he had, and waited for a response from Ivan that never came.

Something that resembled pre-dessert was brought out that the Stunnish prince very much enjoyed, and he snuck a glance at the Niriktian prince only to find that he was giving Alfred an almost...affectionate look? Which would be absurd to assume seeing as they've barely spoken. Still though, seeing the man give him such a soft expression was comforting. Well, not quite. But it was breaching the level of comforting. Alfred said nothing about this however, simply continuing to eat until Ivan decided he would speak again.

Dessert was some chocolate abomination to the gods that Alfred had to keep from shoving into his face in one go. Though he must have been quite a sight since Ivan finally broke his vow of silence to offer a "So I take it you like it?"

In an incredible display of intelligence, the boy came up with, "I...Uh...Yes, I do." Turning his head to the other side with widened eyes and a mouthed  _ oh my gods, please kill me before this can get any worse _ , he heard Ivan let out a small chuckle.

"So you like chocolate. Noted."

"No, I don't like chocolate." Ivan's expression was one of absolute confusion before Alfred grinned at him. "I actually love it. If we weren't getting married I am fairly sure I'd marry this dessert." The attempt to make Ivan laugh was...pathetic, and Alfred was fairly sure he had never said something that made him inwardly cringe as hard as what he just did (recently anyway), but he was reassured with Ivan's returning grin. It wasn't a precisely the desired reaction, but at least it wasn't a pity-smile either.

"Well, I am no after-dinner delight but I hope you'll learn to tolerate me." Alfred could feel himself blush just a bit and he looked down at his plate again to hide it. Every time he looked to Matthew during the dinner he was met with either his brother not paying attention to him, or (worse) a slight jerk of his head towards Ivan while staring pointedly at Alfred. Each time Alfred sighed and made a resolution not to look at his brother again until dinner ended. Each time he broke his promise, and he could feel the larger man's eyes on him and each time he sighed. Each time he looked to his left though, Ivan had averted his gaze. Well this time Alfred wouldn't repeat that whole process.

"I-"

"Would-"

The two of them started talking at the same time, and Alfred let out more a puff of air than a snicker. "You first."

"Are you sure?" When Alfred nodded, Ivan took a brief second to come up with how he wanted to phrase the question he wanted to ask. The exceedingly simple question. The question that it should not take this long to figure out how to say and for  _ gods’ sakes, Ivan he's waiting for you _ -"Would you be willing to speak with me after dinner?" Alfred's head cocked to the side, but he didn't look off-put or frightened at the very least.

"Sure. Why?" Well Ivan wasn't expecting to get that far in all honesty.

"Ah. I just...wanted to talk is all," he replied lamely.

This time when Alfred looked at Matthew, he got a wink and a nod. So he went with it. As if Matthew could even hear the conversation. "Yes, that would be fine. The Niriktian glanced in the same direction as his blonde companion, perplexed.

"What did you just look at? Or who?"

"No one."

"You were looking at someone."

"Let me rephrase, no one  _ important _ ." After a beat Ivan smiled, coming to some conclusion or another, Alfred didn't want to know. Purely for petty reasons of course. He took another bite of his cake-like dessert and watched as the king and queen of this country stood, with the king motioning for Alfred's own parents to stand. Attention was then turned to his brother, who was invited to rise, and then hardened brown eyes focused on the younger prince. He waved, before scrambling out of his seat as soon as he realized what was going on. He heard his brother snort in the hushed room, and Alfred glared at him. There was a brief speech, one that fell on the young man's deaf ears as he was too wrapped up in his flaming embarrassment to listen.  _ Why is everything you do so stupid?! Can you manage not to make a fool out of yourself for at least ten minutes? Are you capable of that? _

Once he noticed his family sitting back down, he followed suit, never once taking his eyes off the table in front of him. Ivan hesitated a moment before giving an awkward pat to Alfred's arm. "You...you did not do anything wrong if that is what you're worried about?"

He closed his eyes briefly, before filling them as much as he could with gratitude and opened his them to meet Ivan's. "Thank you. It's...been a long day." After noticing just how dark the circles under the other prince's eyes were he added, "Probably for both of us." Ivan managed a bark that resembled a laugh. Dinner began being cleared just a moment after that. Every one of the Stunnish party members handed their plates off to the servants with a smile and a thanks. Every one of the servants gave them a skeptical look before walking away. When it came to be Alfred's turn to hand away his dishes, he did the same, and found Ivan to be staring at him. "What?"

"Why did you thank them?"

"Why didn't you?"

Rather than answer his question, Ivan dusted himself up and stood, pushing in his chair and waiting for Alfred to do the same.

Alfred spared a wave at his brother once he was up, and all the bastard did in response was give him a thumbs up. Matthew could be sly if he wanted to, knowing exactly what was going on if Alfred wasn't waiting for him after dinner. Again, bastard.

Instead, he chose to follow Ivan as everyone cleared out from the dining hall. There were numerous people who offered the younger prince words of congratulations, or welcoming him to Vil Nirikt. He offered them each a thanks and what seemed like genuine smiles in return. Ivan was baffled not only by the fact that there were seemingly endless people-some not even of noble birth-who felt it appropriate to not only approach him, but his husband. Correction: soon-to-be husband. Granted, no one was speaking to him, but since Alfred was so close by, Ivan too was being crowded.

There were too many members of the crowd around them, and they were not dissipating soon enough. More people seemed to join the group than there were people leaving. Even though Ivan towered over a good deal of them, and he was taller than any one individual, he began to feel as though he were being overwhelmed and that there was a lack of air circulating through him.

He damn near pushed a decent portion of the mob away from him, furiously growling various threats to them low enough that Alfred would not be able to hear. Even though he was angered he did not want to scare off the smaller man. He began to storm away, only just glancing back behind himself to make sure that the other prince was following him. And he was, albeit slowly. Alfred lagged behind to whisper apologies to people, saying that he didn't have much time to talk, but he would gladly speak to them later, and "Oh, Ivan, wait!"

Without turning around, the Niriktian royalty stopped, waiting until Alfred was in the corner of his eye to begin walking again.

They made their way through the large halls for another minute before the younger of the two asked, "So, where are we going?"

"Hadn't much thought of it. Do you have a preference?"

Any warmness to his tone that Ivan had before was gone, replaced again with that stiff formality he seemed to be famous for. Indignant, Alfred responded with, "No. But if you would slow down a bit that would be wonderful." Ivan did just that, giving his companion a chance to actually walk instead of jog to keep out. Normally he would like to apologize, but now he was not much in the mood to. So instead, he kept leading them along the hallways, passing multiple rooms that would be a nice and comfortable place to have a conversation. His room, a sitting room, the library, another sitting room. Neither of them said anything until they reached the entrance to the garden. Here the Stunnish boy stopped, looking outside at the flowers he could see, and excited to look at those he could not from where he stood. "Do you mind it we talk here?"

Ivan shrugged, then nodded and trailed behind Alfred. His jaw became a bit more unclenched as he heard gentle sighs and amazed gasps as Alfred looked around himself. It was dark outside, though this only seemed to amplify the blonde's astonishment. They came to a small clearing where Alfred plopped himself down, leaning back on his arms to look at the stars in the sky.

"It's beautiful out here." He turned his head to look at Ivan as he sat down beside him. "Do you ever take care of the flowers?"

Ivan shook his head. "No. My sister does though, the older one, Yekaterina."

"Which one is she?"

"Mm...The one with the shorter hair and the, ah..." He trailed off to use his hands to speak for him, miming holding large breasts far out from his chest. Alfred snickered.

"She seems a lot nicer than your...younger? Sister?" Ivan nodded once again.

"Trust me, she is. I would not recommend speaking to Natalia at all."

Rather than respond, Alfred hummed in acknowledgement. The two sat in silence for a little while longer, the younger laying down on his back, and using his arms as a pillow. One leg crossed over the other and Ivan had to fight to keep himself from staring at the sight before him. The prince's eyes were closed, stomach bare, and the rest of him was barely covered at all. Ivan made a mental note to be particularly attentive to if he began to show signs of being cold while they were out there. Back to gazing, there was a trail of hair that led from the tip of his sash tied around his hips to his navel. Ivan noticed that not only were the other's nipples pierced, there was also a gold ball with little accents embedded into the umbilical dip in his stomach.

Without opening his eyes, Alfred still managed to startle Ivan into looking back up at the other's face. The southern-born did not notice this as he spoke. "I just wanted to say earlier, that I...Really appreciated your gift." His eyes flickered opened as he moved his right arm out from under him, and shook it a bit to show off the scarf. "It smells...Nice. It’s nice."

In an ironic twist Ivan held his breath while Alfred looked at the cloth for a moment before tucking his arm under his head once more.

"I’m glad you like it."

The two slipped into a silence again, which neither would admit was uncomfortable. That didn't stop it from being exactly that though. Alfred stared up at the sky again, trying futilely to count the stars he saw, and Ivan watched him furrow his brow in concentration.

"Why did..." Again, Ivan jumped just a little when Alfred broke the silence. "Why did you ask me why I thanked that servant at dinner tonight?"

The Niriktian took a moment to think of an answer, and he decided an honest one was best. "Because here they aren't...Exactly...ah...They do what they were hired to do and...What I mean is that here we don't...ah..."

The look on Alfred's face slowly devolved into one of anger the more Ivan stumbled along his words. "So what you mean to say is that you don't see them as humans?"

"No, that isn't true-"

"But you treat them poorly despite all the work they do for you? You push them aside and yell at them when they bother you and you don't even thank them?"

"I did not yell at them!"  _ In front of you in any case _ . This conversation was spiraling downhill faster than Ivan could recover it. Alfred had changed from lying down, to sitting up, to crouched and ready to stand. This is not what Ivan wanted at all, he just wanted to invite Alfred to sit and talk with him, have a nice conversation about whatever came to their minds. Not become furious with him over something that the older prince saw as trivial. "I just...Do not see why you care that much."

Alfred was up on his feet faster than Ivan had time to process it. "Because they are human beings! Even if you find them annoying or beneath you they are still human, Ivan." The older man did not have the chance to revel in the fact that it was the first time that Alfred called him by his name because the boy was storming away before he could.

"A-Alfred! Wait!"

He did not. Ivan was left in the garden by himself, muttering curse after curse at himself while standing up slowly and brushing any dirt from his pants.  _ You managed to fuck it all up. Wonderful job. Now he hates you over...Over what? It isn't my fault-this is simply how things are done here and he might as well get used to it _ . Even as he thought this he knew that he would spend a lot of the rest of his night coming up with apologies to use, and promises that he would try and be...better towards the servants. If only for the Stunnish boy's wishes. Then again, why should he bother or care what Alfred had to think? Not once in Ivan's entire life had any of his attendants ever said anything about his behavior to him. The only servant that had spoken out against his family was rightfully punished. No one else need to harbor any ill will towards him, his sisters, or his parents. This was a normal power move was it not?

And that pretty little brat thinks he can come here and cause a ruckus over saying fucking 'thank you' to the hired help.  _ We aren't even married yet and he thinks that he can tell me what to do. Well he hasn't actually told me what to do yet but the point still stands _ .

Ivan didn't really realize that he was making his way back to his room, still fuming, until he opened the door and found Tolik sitting in his chair, carving something or other.

"Ah, my young one! How did dinner go?"

"I do not want to talk about it." Ivan threw himself onto his bed, kicking off his boots and immediately undoing the buttons on his shirt, simultaneously trying to wrangle his sash off his shoulder. The large bodyguard watched this scene for a moment with a bemused smile, though he was troubled by the fact that his prince was indeed angry.

"Did he not like the present?"

"He liked it just fine."

"Was he rude to you over dinner? He sometimes can be a little, ah, shall we say testy? Especially when the little one is hungry or tired."

"He was fine."

"Did you speak to him after like you wanted?"

The glare that Ivan threw Tolik's way said everything. The larger man let out a low rumble and stood up, coming over so that he could sit on Ivan's bed even when the younger man buried his face in a pillow. "Did you two have a fight? What did you say to him?"

A partially muffled, "Why do you assume I said something to him? He was the one who got upset and-and, walked away! We sat there in the garden for a while and we barely said anything at all! And then he brings up something that happened over dinner that was not even-not even relevant! And then when I cannot give him an answer that pleases him-off he goes! He-he was practically running away from me at that point. I've barely spoken to him and I've already upset him. Imagine our entire lives like what happened this evening! Him getting upset at the slightest thing and storming off! Gods, how could I have messed this up already?" The prince was speaking faster than Tolik had possibly ever heard him, and the man couldn't help but laugh. Ivan moved his face out of the pillow, glaring at the other man.

"Oh, Ivan, you are sometimes too much." He mimed wiping away a tear. "Never before had I heard you speak so quickly and trip over your words like so. You must really like him, no?" Ivan opened his mouth to reply, but when Tolik kept talking it fell shut with a click. "Perhaps if you share with me what you did to upset him, we can get to the root of the problem."

Contemplating briefly, the Braginski son rolled onto his back. "I asked him why he said 'thank you' to a servant that was just doing their job. And then he asked me why I asked him why he said 'thank you.' Later we were heading out to speak with one another, and there were servants crowding around us and I told them to leave us alone."

"In typical Ivan fashion?"

"I...I may have threatened a few, lightly pushed a few others. But I made sure that Alfred would not hear me. After we got to the garden he brought it up again, and then he accused me of seeing them as slaves or something along those lines. I told him that that wasn't true but he got so angry that he left. And now here I am."

Tolik remained silent for a few moments. In fact, he did not speak for so long that the prince became almost impatient before the larger finally responded. "In Cattingstun, I did notice that the servants there were treated much better. Please do not mistake me for speaking wrongly of your parents, Ivan. However, Katyusha is the only one of your family to have any sort of respect for the workers here."

"Well that's because-"

"Please, let me finish." Ivan absolutely hated that Tolik was speaking so calmly to him, treating him like a child. But he allowed it for now. "Here...They are paid, and they are expected to keep their mouths shut. As long as the job gets done, no problems arise. Alfred and his family, they are a lot...Nicer." Ivan quirked a brow at that. "They say thank you every chance they get. I did not see a single servant get yelled at once while I spent my time there. And they seem a lot happier. They talk more, have conversations, almost as though they enjoy their jobs. I cannot speak for them, but that was the impression I got. It is just a culture difference between you two lads, yes? Try...hm..." Again the man fell quiet.

"Try what?"

He sighed, then looked Ivan squarely in the eyes. "Now, I know you. I know what you are going to think about this. But just  _ try _ doing things Alfred's way. Say thank you when he is around, do not yell at any of the servants. And for gods' sakes, do not harm any of them when Alfred is close by you. I know this will be very different for you, and you may not like it. All I ask is that you try for the little one's peace of mind."

Stifling a snarl, Ivan shot up and out of his bed, using the leverage to tower over Tolik for a change. "You are right, I don't like it. It's stupid! Why should I have to change my ways to suit him? He is in my country!"

"Ivan-"

"No. You listen now. I will do whatever I please to whomever I please. Some Stunnish boy is not going to change me or how I behave. I am doing nothing wrong, and I have done nothing wrong tonight! He's just going to have to accept that and I do not care what this little brat thinks."

 

\----------------

 

Alfred stared at the bird that lay broken and lifeless outside his window. He couldn't help but think that if he had just kept the damn thing open last night then the poor creature outside wouldn't be...Dead.

"What are you star-Oh. Oh, Alfred..." The younger glanced up at his brother before turning back to the sight. Matthew had already gone to get breakfast while Alfred slept in until he heard the loud thud. The (belatedly) open window was low enough that Alfred could reach out his arm and scoop the bird up, but who would that help?

"I want to bury it." Though it was framed as a request, Matthew knew that a burial for the animal would happen whether he denied Alfred's wish or not. Besides that, it felt like the right thing to do. So instead of saying anything, he nodded and climbed out the window. Alfred followed suit, taking great care to step over the creature. The deceased creature. The two worked in silence, with the younger prince choosing to simply dig with his hands. Matthew at least looked around for some sort of tool that they could use. Finding nothing, he knelt down next to his brother and dug with him. It was short work, seeing as such a small thing didn't need a large grave.

Matthew muttered for Alfred to stay put while he went to go find something they could use to put the bird in the hole. For once, the younger did as he was told without complaint, too stunned and upset to feel rebellious. He looked back at the window, a grand and intimidating thing that was both longer and taller than Alfred himself was. There were several panes and several metal bars in the framework. The prince couldn't think of a reason why the bird would have flown into it. There was nothing pleasing in his room. Or in the entire castle for that matter. It took all he had to swallow the sob he felt building up and keep his eyes dry.

Finally his brother arrived with a small sheet that he took the burden of wrapping the animal up in before lowering it into their freshly dug grave. Alfred crawled over to his brother, and as soon as Matthew's hands were free, the younger slumped onto his side. The older boy wrapped an arm around the younger before lowering his head. "Do you, ah...Want to say a few words?"

The younger of the two considered this before shaking his head. "There isn't much to say, honestly." Under a lot of other, more normal circumstances, Matthew would reply with 'Well isn't that a first?' in a joking manner. This however was not other, more normal circumstances.

So the two took to covering up the small creature up with dirt. As soon as that task was halfway completed, Alfred went off a few feet in order to dig a flower from the ground, careful to keep its roots unharmed. No sense in killing two things today. He placed the blossom over both dirt and bird, and completed shoveling dirt over everything. Matthew supposed he had an idea as to why his brother cared so deeply about this, but he kept his mouth shut. If this one thing could keep his brother from losing his mind in such a foreign place then it was worth it.

"A moment of silence?" This Alfred agreed to. They both bowed their heads and clasped their hands. Neither said anything for much longer than a moment, but it was Alfred who finally broke it.

"Everything feels like death here." Matthew, startled, snapped his head to look at his brother, mouth parting as though he wanted to say something.

He didn't get the words out before Alfred continued. "Tell me I'm wrong. Everything is grey and dark. There isn't any color anywhere aside from the banners they hung to 'make us feel more at home' or whatever. Even the flowers look faded. I haven't seen the sun for a single moment since we arrived."

"To be fair we've only been here for a day."

"That's not the point," Alfred whined, flinging his hands to his sides in exasperation. "And now this. What if..." He broke off with a sigh.

"Alfred," Matthew began gently. "What did you and Ivan talk about last night?"

"What? Nothing!"

"If he said something to you, or did something, Al, I swear that I'll-"

"No, Mattie! He...he was nice. But we got into some stupid, petty argument that I need to apologize for. And the fact that he at least has the capacity to be nice is what's making being angry at this place so much harder." His older brother stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter, only continuing when Alfred demanded, "What?!"

"You are about the biggest child I have ever know, Alfred. Listen, I know you are upset about the bird we just buried, but this place isn't  _ so _ awful and I know you know that. The only reason it looks so 'dark and gloomy' to you is because you're letting your mood affect what you see. I mean, yes, it could be brighter, but it's just different than our home. It's almost an entirely different world up here and that's what has you so scared isn't it?"

Unable to think of anything smart-or dumb-to say in retort, the boy simply nodded his head. Damn Matthew was good.

His older brother sighed, dusting himself off as he stood. "You should go get some food after you get dressed. It'll make you feel better." Alfred still looked skeptical however, so Matthew kept talking. "I'll go with you if you're worried about Ivan. I had the displeasure of meeting his younger sister this morning. She mistook me for you, and it wasn't exactly...fun. His elder sister is lovely though. She said she'd wait to meet you while I woke you up, and I hope she hasn't left yet. Tolik stopped by earlier, said he wanted to watch over you, but I told him that you were sleeping and I could take care of you just fine." As his brother droned on, the younger prince busied himself with getting dressed as quickly as possible, snapping and sliding on his jewelry with some assistance. Alfred knew that Matthew was only speaking this much to fill the silence and to distract his younger sibling from their make-shift funeral, and it was nice of him to try.

The two made their way over to the dining hall once again, where they were greeted by a beautiful smiling woman. "I was beginning to worry about you two! You said that he would only be a few minutes and I wasn't sure if I should stay or look for you! But here you are so that problem is solved." She turned her beam from one Stunnish boy to the other blue-eyed one. Her happy demeanor was quickly replaced with a concerned look. "What is wrong?"

Alfred bit his lip before answering, just barely cutting off Matthew to reply. His first instinct was to say 'nothing,' but he figured an honest answer was better here. "I found a dead bird outside my window this morning, it, um, it flew into my window."

Immediately Ivan's sister brought him into a hug, surprising both of the boys. She was just tall enough that Alfred's face was buried in her chest, but he didn't mind. It was comforting in all honesty. Warm, soft. So on. He wrapped his arms around her for a brief moment before pulling away. "Thank you, I needed that."

Matthew scoffed from next to him and mumbled, "I give you hugs..." Alfred ignored him.

"It is no problem. Come, sit down though while the food is still hot." Both boys followed her, and the younger prince was immediately impressed with the array on the table. There were fresh fruits as well as still steaming bread, an assortment of sweet-looking dishes that he did not recognize, a variety of jams, and more. He sat down next to his brother, and the woman sat across from them, still smiling gently. She handed Alfred a plate, and he piled it high with at least one of everything. "I don't believe I have told you my nickname yet, have I?"

Alfred shook his head, then looked at her shamefully. "I don't know your real name either I'm afraid. I am sorry."

She dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand and an increase in her grin. "It is not your fault. My real name is Yekaterina, but most call me Katyusha. Hm, except for Ivan anyway." The boy stiffened slightly at the mention of the Niriktian man's name, remembering yet again that he needed to apologize for snapping the previous night. The look on his face must have given away, because Katyusha was saying next, "He said that he wanted to speak to you, though I do not know what about. Did he upset you somehow, Alfred? If he did I can speak to him and straighten him out." She flexed, and Alfred chuckled.

"No, no. It's my fault. We just had an argument is all-one that I started."

"I find that hard to believe," she laughed and Alfred continued eating while the two chatted, with Matthew occasionally chiming in. So far Ivan's sister seemed the most welcoming out of anyone that he had met here thus far, future husband included. As he finished eating, Katyusha led the brothers away from the table, shooing them off so they could explore and her and the servants could clean up. Alfred asked if he was the last person to eat breakfast, and his brother gravely nodded while Ivan's sister giggled and told him that the palace's workers would eat what was left, and if they didn't, the animals would then. Assured that no food was going to waste, Alfred headed out with Matthew in a considerably improved mood. The pair managed to locate their parents, and the family spoke for a little while in one of the sitting rooms.

Arthur had settled himself into the largest chair with Clara sitting on the arm rest, leaning up against her husband's side. "I will give them this," Arthur started, "They have some damn good furniture here." The other three nodded while the subject bounced from one topic to another. From the incredible horses that their mother adored, and she gushed about being able to go riding later with some of the Niriktian royals. Arthur was most enamored with the furniture still, and refused to give up the idea that he and his queen should change their mattress. Matthew was greatly interested in the culture and language here, proud that he could eavesdrop on everyone who thought he could not speak the Niriktian tongue.

Finally it was Alfred's turn to say what he most liked about their location, and he found his mouth dry. His eyes flitted to his brother, who could only shrug. "I, um...I suppose the food is nice."

"Out of everything here you pick the food?"

"I, uh, well..."

He was saved from further explanation by a knock to the doorframe, and all four members of the family snapped to see who had arrived.

There was Ivan, standing uncomfortably straight and tall, hand that he used to knock still poised on the wood as though he were unsure if they would have ignored his first attempt. Immediately though Alfred's family fell silent, none of them breathing while waiting for what the newcomer among them had to say. Or perhaps that was just Alfred. Either way, it did take a moment or two for Ivan to address them, his eyes going from his feet, to his hand, to the ceiling of the room, to the group, to just the youngest member. "I would like to speak with Alfred if...If that is alright." He nodded and stood up. Matthew clasped his hand lightly as he passed, and his brother appreciated the gesture. It would take approximately ten steps to reach Ivan in the doorway. Ten steps that would have been amazingly easy had he not tripped on one of the rugs about halfway. Briefly he wished that he would hit his head on the corner of the table and die so that he would never have to remember this embarrassing moment.

Alfred never got the chance to smash his chrome on anything though, as Ivan reached him quicker than it took him to fall. How the large man moved so fast no one in the room knew. Even Clara had barely managed to stand during her son's fall. It was almost as if the man knew what was going to happen, or was at least suspicious of Alfred's predisposition to falling.

"Are you alright?"

Ivan had one hand on Alfred's waist, the other on his shoulder to stabilize him. Instead of answering his question, Alfred instead felt his face damn near catch on fire, and he refused to speak or look at the man in front of him. Ivan let him go, and only then did the boy bob his head furiously, biting his lip.  _ For the love of the gods if you cry I swear to god I will kill you. You are  _ not _ going to cry in front of him and your family you idiot. _ He managed to keep his emotions in check as he waved to his parents and brother, following Ivan out of the room after the older nodded respectfully.

As they walked out of the room, Alfred managed a small, "Thank you." Ivan said nothing, simply looked at the smaller man with what almost looked like concern in his eyes.

"Did you want to go back to the garden?" Alfred shrugged. "We could...go to a different one. Or another sitting room?" Again, he was met with a quick lift and drop of the other's shoulders. Ivan opened his mouth to sarcastically inform him that he did not care where this conversation was happening, but it was going to. He thought better of it at the last second, not wanting to start another fight with the boy. "Did my sister tell you I wanted to speak with you?"

"Katyusha? Yes, she mentioned it." Alfred looked around himself then, pointing in falsified apathy to the outside space they had spoken in last night. His companion agreed, and it took them less than a minute to be seated on a bench there, Alfred with his legs criss-cross, Ivan with his knees spread and elbows resting on his thighs. Again, neither of them spoke for a while, apologies dying in their throats at the thought of actually uttering them out loud.

It was the Niriktian prince who (shockingly) spoke first, managing to stow away his pride for just a short amount of time. "I wanted to apologize for last night. I realize I may have come across as...Insensitive. I did not mean to upset you." If Ivan looked tense, then his words were even more so.

Alfred smiled at his hands in his lap, sighed, and lifted his head up. "And I did not mean to leave you like I did. So, I'm sorry as well."

His companion looked startled at this confession, scrambling to come up with words. "You did not do anything wrong, though."

He sighed again, "I yelled at you and stormed off, that was rude I know. And I didn't even need to be told that it was, which makes it even worse. It's just...I don't know, things are just so different here. And Mattie said I need to adjust to this place, just like you will have to when we go to Cattingstun so..." He trailed off, and Ivan nodded. Once again neither of them had anything to say. Their quietness was not as uncomfortable before at the very least, but they were still trying to come up with something to say to the other.

"Can you..." A silver head whipped up to look at him. "Can you show me around the garden? There's a lot of different flowers here."

"I can, yes." Ivan stood up, offering out his hand for Alfred to take. He was almost surprised when the boy did, and he helped him stand. Alfred gently let go, blushing lightly. Ivan would have smiled at the sight if the boy did not look up at him after, waiting expectantly. They walked around for a while, Ivan pointing out different plants, quietly mumbling each time he did not know the name of a flower. Each time Alfred would assure him that it was alright. "Forgive me, my older sister is much better at this than I."

"I think you are doing just fine."

Each spare moment they could find, Alfred talked about what his home country's gardens had to offer. Ivan listened intently to what the boy had to say. Even though he said that Yekaterina knew more about the flora there, that did not mean that he wasn't interested in it. His father had always told him that gardening was for women and peasants though, so he never was able to join his sister in taking care of the plants and blossoms. There were a few times where Alfred would see a flower that he liked, usually a very brightly colored one, and would ask what it was. Half the time Ivan would actually know the answer, proud of this ability.

Eventually Alfred began talking about a flower so large that it reached above even Tolik's head. "Our gardeners need ladders to reach the tops of them, they're that large. We have rows and rows of them, so many that you could get lost while walking in them. Especially since when you look up, all you can see is the tops of them. Oh, and, they are so pretty. Sunflowers we call them, Bright yellow petals, and it does look like the sun I think." Ivan recalled when what seemed like years ago Yekaterina had told him about Alfred's love for these flowers.

"They do sound beautiful. I would love to see them someday."

The answering smile he received was more amazing than any blossom Ivan could imagine.

"Little one? Ivan?" The two of them heard the yell and looked back at the same time. The entrance to the garden was blocked by all the plants and flowers they had passed, however they still knew exactly who had called out to them. Alfred giggled and Ivan felt the corners of his mouth quirk up just a small bit.

"Coming!" Alfred called back, taking a step before looking back at the other prince. He held out his hand and Ivan was more amazed than he had been when Alfred had taken his hand the first time. Ivan hesitantly took the smaller hand in his own, and he saw the boy blush before turning back to head out. The Niriktian was only a step behind him.

When they emerged from the rows of greenery, they were greeted with the large and booming man with a very pleased grin on his face.

Alfred couldn't help but smile back, and he used his free hand to wave. The fact that their palms were clasped together did not escape Tolik, and Ivan knew this. The very slight giddiness he felt (or perhaps it wasn't all that slight) at the acton overrode any irritation he might have that someone had seen them together. Even in his past relationships any display of affection was kept entirely private. With this boy though it was different, and whereas this disturbed the prince, it delighted the bodyguard. Alfred, oblivious as ever, stopped as soon as they reached them, and once again ended his contact with Ivan. It was not in a harsh way at least, and he only did so so that he could poke at the giant man before them, complaining about the fact that he had wanted to wake Alfred up.

Tolik guffawed out of levity, and patted the blonde on the shoulder before ruffling his hair. "I have been looking for you all day and here I find you, in the one place I should have checked first!"

Ivan shifted from one foot to the other, already feeling out of place with his fiancee's familiarity with the other man. He looked to Alfred when he spoke, deciding that his eyes would stay there until he was addressed again. "I haven't even been awake all day."

"Is that not the truth. Tell me, what have you been up to? My job is to take care of you and your brother tells me he has it handled! Tell me what do they pay me for then, hm?"

"Nothing happened. Well, Mattie and I had to bury a bird today because it flew into my window and died. But that was it."

If Ivan's attention was drifting before, he was now refocused on Alfred once again. Not only him, but Tolik's grin turned into a frown.

"You did not tell me this." Alfred looked back at Ivan and shrugged yet again.

"It didn't seem relevant. Also it's sad. I guess I didn't really want to talk about it." He seemed to leave it at that as Tolik began fussing over him, making sure that he was fine both physically and emotionally, reassuring him that the glass would be cleaned before he went to his room again, to which Alfred responded with a light, "well what if I go back right now?" Tolik very softly flicked him on the forehead. Ivan could feel himself fade more and more into the background. Neither of them were speaking to him, so he decided that it would be a better use of his time to go elsewhere. Maybe he would hit something to make himself feel better. Yes, that sounded nice.

As he began to leave though, he only made it a step or two before he heard Alfred ask him to wait. He had half a mind to keep walking, just like the other boy had the previous night, but he stayed. He even turned around to face the other two. "Where are you going?"

He wanted to badly to snap at him, to ask him why he cared if he was so keen to ignore him previously. Instead though he just said that he had 'other matters to attend to.'

The Stunnish boy would not leave well enough alone though. "Will I see you again later?" Ivan responded with a shrug of his own, subtly mocking the other. He turn turned around again and left. Alfred wanted to yell out again, but Tolik shook his head. "What's wrong with him? We were having a nice time earlier...Or at least I thought."  _ He probably got sick of your non stop talking, you idiot. _

"Sometimes he just gets in these moods, little one. You did nothing wrong. He thinks that if no one is talking to him then they are not worth his time. If too many people speak to him at once he gets angry. He will be fine and I will talk to him later just to make sure, yes?" The younger of the two nodded, though he was biting his lip. He opened his mouth to speak, starting off by asking him to apologize on his behalf, but Tolik clapped his back, pushing him along. "None of that now, you have no need to atone for anything. Hm, I believe it is lunch time and I am sure your brother is waiting for you, so go on. I will speak to someone about getting your window cleaned up."

His bodyguard left him then, despite his earlier complaints about Alfred going off by himself. He didn't mind though, especially if he was going to be reunited with Matthew. As the large man set off to do exactly as he promised about the bloody window situation, he thought about how he had noticed the way that the boy's face lit up at the mention of his brother. Truthfully, he was worried about what would happen to him if he and Ivan did not learn to get along better, and his older brother would be halfway across the world. Tolik had heard tales of both princes throwing absolute fits when they were separated for long periods of time. Of course, these stories were all from when they were younger, but that did not mean he was any less concerned for either boy. Both of them seemed to be too reliant on the other, and whereas it was not his place to point this out, he knew that he would have to address the issue should this get out of hand.

Now though, Alfred was almost jogging to lunch. Partially because he was desperate to talk about what had happened with Matthew, but mostly because he was hungry again.

After lunch, neither of them did much the rest of the day. Matthew wanted to spend some time in the library, and since Tolik had rejoined them, Alfred convinced the man to play chess with him. The younger boy's strategy was lazy at best, however he did manage to win a decent amount of the games they played. Eventually he grew weary, and announced that he was going to take a nap before dinner later that night. His older brother of course shot up and said that he would go with him, the book that he had been reading tucked under his arm. The princes seemed to look to the younger's personal guard for permission, and once he nodded they scampered off. He cleaned up the game that had been left abandoned, though he had a feeling that within a few more moves Alfred would have beaten him. Should the boy would ever take time to think about a majority of his actions, he could come off as quite intelligent, if his chess playing abilities were any indication.

When Tolik was done, he made his way slowly into the bedroom that the two boys were sharing. He wasn't sure if he should mention this to Ivan, but he felt as though he would find out soon enough if he hadn't already. Tolik opened the boys' door and peered inside. He found them sleeping soundly, the book Matthew had brought was laid on his face, and he smiled gently before pulling back and closing the door. He had never had children of his own, but he imagined the way he loved Ivan, and was beginning to adore the Stunnish princes was similar to being a father.

Some time before dinner, since the boys had not left their room, Tolik took it upon himself to wake them up. Or at least, wake Matthew up, and spend the better part of half an hour pleading with Alfred to do the same. The younger one truly did love his sleep. Finally, his eyes blinked open as though it took a great effort and stared hazily at the other two people in his room. He was buried under the blankets and his head was half under one pillow, another underneath. He yawned sleepily, and all his guard could do was think about how precious he looked then.

With some assistance, Alfred was pulled into a sitting position, where he was able to rub his eyes and stretch his upper half.

Patience was key with him it seemed. Yelling at him would do no good, the servants at the boys' country proved. It was better to wait, and celebrate the small victories one was able to make. Honestly, it was a miracle when Alfred swung his legs off the bed instead of deciding to lay back down once again as he has done previously. Many times. Many, many times.

Matthew helped him adjust his clothing and put his jewelry back on while Tolik straightened up some of the mess. It was easy to tell which brother claimed which half of the room. Matthew's side was proper and in-order, with his things neatly placed into the available storage. Alfred's half looked like a pack of wild dogs had broken loose and scattered everything for him. Clothes were strewn about. Little trinkets and personal items lined the dresser and shelves offered. There were even a few golden bracelets, rings, and a necklace that, if not seen, could be stepped on and broken. The bearded man shook his head, trying hard not to grin.

"Ready!" Came a very drowsy voice, and the three headed out of the room. They arrived at the dining hall before most everyone else, and before all but two others had decided to sit down. Katyusha saw them and came over, cooing about how precious Alfred looked when he was sleepy.

Both guard and brother took their leave, and take their seats. Eventually both the princess and prince did the same as more people began to fill the room.

Tolik was glad for the Stunnish court's presence, it made the grand room feel so much less lonely.

Ivan walked in late to dinner. So late in fact that Alfred was severely unsettled by the empty chair next to him, and people began wondering if he were going to arrive at all. Natalia trailed in just a step behind him, her pleased face a contrast to her brother's furious one. No one said anything as Ivan threw himself next to Alfred, or when his sister practically skipped to her place next to her older sister. Blue eyes flickered up to meet violet ones, and the contact was broken just a moment later when the Niriktian jerked his head to face down.

Alfred bit his lip and set his shoulders forward. He felt the need to apologize, though he did not know what for. The next two hours or so passed like that, with neither of them speaking and doing everything they could to not look at the other. Alfred barely moved, and only used one hand to eat what little he did, and he chose to drink water instead of the wine offered. He was trying to make himself as small as possible, wanting to ask what was wrong with Ivan, but not knowing at all how to bring it up, as well as being terrified that the man's animosity would be directed towards him, instead of the sister he was glaring at. When dinner concluded, King Vladislav made a brief speech about how honored he was that the other royal family was there, how he hoped they would enjoy their stay, and so on. As soon as he could, Ivan leapt up and left the room, leaving his future husband gaping and gawking after him with a partially opened mouth. Neither his brother, nor his guard were pleased about this at all, and after a few words Tolik promised to find out why Ivan was acting so damned rude. Alfred, near tears, nodded and clung to Matthew.

It did not take long for the black haired man to find the prince he had practically raised, even if he was behind a locked door. Tolik pounded on the heavy wooden thing, fierce anger fading when he saw Ivan's expression as soon as the door was flung open. Though the anger did not fade enough for him to stop him from going off.

"Why did you just leave Alfred back there? Not say a word to him all dinner? For gods’ sakes, he was upset that he might have hurt your feelings earlier, that gives you no right to be mad at him. You are going to scare him off at this rate! He is such a sweet boy and he sat there cowering from you tonight. Ivan-"

"I am sorry, alright?! I wasn't mad at him, did you not see Natalia following me to dinner? It was her fault I was late and in such a horrible mood."

"I figured as such, but you do not need to take it out on him, you do not need to let the actions of your sister affect your entire night."

"You don't even know what she did!"

" _ Enough _ , Ivan." He did not yell but his voice was firm and demanded to be followed. Tolik stroked his beard once, bowing his head slightly. "I am willing to listen to why you were upset earlier. I am willing to sympathize and to help you with your problems. But you are not a child anymore, you cannot keep letting Natalia affect your moods, and in turn affect how you treat others. She is a pain, I am very aware of this, but you are older than her by three years. What trivial things she does should have no great horrible impact on you like this. Do you understand?"

He nodded, staring at the floor.

"You will tell him you are sorry tonight." Ivan nodded again, making as though he was going to do just that. Tolik held out an arm in front of the prince's chest. "You may do so after you tell me what Natalia did."

Despite being ashamed at his own actions, the fairer of the two did want to talk about what had happened. His pride was wounded at Tolik's words, and the fact that he cared so much about not Ivan's image, but his well being only served to make him feel more guilty. He felt like a damned child  _ again _ . Not only that, but he did treat Alfred poorly at dinner, and the absolute last thing he wanted was for the boy to be frightened of him. He took a deep breath, exhaled. Took another and exhaled again. " _ She _ is just...always around." There was no question as to who this 'she was.' "She follows me everywhere, watches my every movement. Ever since she was born she has driven off almost every single man I've been interested in , what few there were." 

Tolik nodded for Ivan to continue when he took a pause to collect his thoughts and his breath. 

"Before dinner I-she-Natalia...Came into my room and began telling me every single reason why she hated Alfred and why someone should ' _ get rid of him'.  _ Fuck, he is here for less than a week and she already wants him dead! I damn near begged her to stop, but she wouldn't! I had to scream at her to shut up once she finally said she would kill him herself! He has done nothing to her, in fact both his brother and Katyusha have made absolute sure that he is never in the same room at her! Even if he were to meet her he would probably be more open and comfortable with her than with me. He fucking  _ hates  _ me, Tolik and I do not blame him." 

"Wait." The larger man held up his hands in front of him, wanting to ease Ivan's anxiousness if only a little. "He does not come even close to hating you. He does not dislike you, he does not feel apathetic towards you. He is confused, you treat him well one moment and the next storm away from him. Remember that you are not yet the one who has had to uproot everything you have ever known to travel across the world." Ivan nodded slowly upon hearing this. "I believe that he truly wants to like you, that he wants to grow to love you, but you must  _ let  _ him. Show him the same concerns you are showing me. Now, is this all you wanted to say to me?" 

Ivan bobbed his head yet again. 

"Then go apologize to him. You know which room he is in, go and tell him you are sorry for what happened at dinner. If he asks why explain to him. But perhaps without any of the details, yes?" Again the prince's head moved to signify agreement. Tolik quirked his brows and off the younger man went. 

Navigating the halls, especially at this time of night, was amazingly simple. There were but one or two servants on his way there, both of whom kept the hell out of his way as he struggled not to run to Alfred's room. It did not take him long, and once he was there he knocked in four quick raps. 

The boy who opened the door was not who he was expecting, and some of the nerve that Ivan had built up on the way over there abandoned him. "I-sorry, I thought this was Alfred's room." 

"It is," Matthew told him. He was staring daggers at the much bigger man and Ivan could not blame him. He kept his tall frame in the doorway, one hand holding the door, the other firmly grasping the wooden frame supporting it. It was as though he thought he could stop the other prince from forcing his way in if he really wanted to. A Niriktian would not back down though. 

"I would like to speak with him, please." 

"My, that is too bad then isn't it?" Came the sharp reply. 

_ Please, I need to  _ was what Ivan thought. "Please..." was what came out of his mouth. Matthew sighed, looking behind the door, then back to Ivan a moment later. Instead of saying anything, he let go of his hold on the doorframe, motioning impatiently for the man to step inside. Ivan was damn near shocked at this display. He had found the older of the Stunnish brothers to be quiet, shy, and mousy. Now though his actions were so bold and his words had a bite that Ivan never expected. Alfred had told him a bit about his brother when they were together in the garden earlier, and this was nothing like what Ivan had been disclosed. Briefly, he wondered if he would ever feel this strong a desire to protect his soon-to-be husband. He pushed the thought from his mind as soon as he actually laid eyes upon his betrothed. 

He looked like he had been crying, his hair a mess, bed clothes and bare chest slightly damp. Alfred was holding his hip with the opposite arm, and Ivan could see that at least he was still wearing the scarf he had given him. Alfred scrubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, and for the first time Ivan felt like he wanted to scoop the boy up in his arms. He shook this thought from his head before he even realized it had been there. 

"Oh...I..." 

"What do you want?" Ivan was too stunned to realize which brother said that, so he simply hurried on with why he had come there. 

"I just, that is, I wanted to say...Sorry. I wanted to say sorry for earlier..." He trailed off and hoped that was enough. This was more apologizing in the past couple days than he had ever done in his life. He just cared so much, so  _ irrationally  _ much what this boy thought of him. 

This time Ivan was able to properly identify who exactly said the sharp and bitter, 'is that all?' And he was even more attune to just who giggled and continued with, "It's alright, Mattie." Ivan immediately straightened his back as soon as Alfred's eyes-this time much more bright and much less hurt-turned to him. "Our conversations have got to stop beginning like this." 

The laugh that came from the Niriktian prince caught all three of them off guard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woohoo! alfred and ivan finally interacted for more than three sentences!! hope you didn't expect them to get along right away ;D 
> 
> haha haven't had a flashback at the beginning of the chapter in a while, eh? also only about two months until their wedding! whoo boy. 
> 
> as always you can find me for updates, ask me questions, or just peruse thru my blog if u would like over at [whillowed](whillowed.tumblr.com) !! i will be happy to take any questions, comments, concerns, etc over there as well!
> 
> oh also, if anyone wants to start liveblogging this, on tumblr, twitter, whatever, you can feel free to tag me! i'd love to see it! my twitter is @maxalackin and my tumblr is @whillowed as i said :) you can also use the tag #moi podsolnechnik or #moipodsolnechnik or smth like that. EITHER WAY i'd be super flattered and probably give u my first born or smth haha. also if anyone were to ever draw art for this fic pleAAAAAASEEEE show me if you can because i would probably die from sheer joy. 
> 
> okay one last thing please! i'm currently in the process of planning out another rusame fic, modern au, multichapter, but much shorter than i have ever planned this one to be. does anyone have an opinion on whether i should work on both these fics at the same time, or put the second one on hold until i get a lot farther in this fic?  
> pros: 2 rusame fics being released every so often  
> cons: i already don't have a set upload/writing schedule, so there's no telling when either would be updated.  
> if anyone has an opinon on this, feel free to send me an ask on tumblr or comment on here!
> 
> well, that's it for these notes! thanks for reading and i'll get back to writing asap!!


	8. Chapter 8

Vil Nirikt, 1360

 

Alfred slowly blinked his eyes open before shutting them against the sunlight streaming through the windows. He snuggled deeper into the covers even as he heard both his brother's and his guard's soft voices trying to wake him up. Matthew brushed the bangs from his forehead and Alfred yawned. His eyes were still closed even as he shifted onto his back. After another moment and more pleading he lifted himself up onto his elbows, and the begging turned into encouragement as he sat upright fully. Truthfully he wanted nothing more than to just lay back down and go to sleep for a few more hours. However he'd save disappointing Matthew and Tolik for another morning. 

"What time is it?" he mumbled, rubbing his face with his hands. 

"Well after noon, little one." He yawned and tried not to let the whine become too apparent in his voice. 

"Why didn't you wake me up before then?" 

Matthew patted his knee then. "Alfred, we tried. It was everything we could do to wake you in time for lunch." Alfred slumped against his brother's side for a moment or two, struggling to keep himself from falling asleep again like that. 

With a yawn he finally clambered out of bed and stretched, puffing out his chest and letting out a quiet moan until he heard a cough. His eyes snapped open again and he was fully awake when he saw Ivan standing in his bedroom's doorway. There was a small smile on the man's lips and Alfred immediately clasped his hands in front of himself. 

"Sorry, I'll wait outside." With that he left the room and leaned his back against the stone wall. Alfred cut a glare at the other two men in the room but didn't say anything else. Matthew retrieved the outfit they had picked out the night prior, and the three of them set about dressing the youngest prince. Bracelets and anklets were snapped into place, and Alfred slipped a thin, golden headdress onto his head before calling himself dressed enough. 

He cast a look over his shoulder to make sure Ivan was out of sight before grabbing the scarf off the nightstand and tying it around his wrist. 

Tolik must have told Ivan it was alright for him to come back in because when Alfred turned around again, there he was in the wooden frame. Alfred mumbled out, "Good morning," and Ivan responded in kind, biting his tongue about the fact that it was—in fact—afternoon. Ivan let his eyes wander up and down his betrothed's body just once before suggesting that they go to lunch. Alfred was the first to agree, and so the four of them shuffled out of the room. 

Ivan led their little party, with Matthew not too far behind him. Alfred was content to walk in the back, still a little embarrassed about how indecent he had appeared before the Niriktian prince. Tolik seemed to have a different plan however as he slowed his pace to walk beside the blonde. 

Whispering, Alfred asked, "Why was he with you to wake me earlier?" 

The large man chuckled. "We told him you were merely sleeping. He did not believe that could be possible. He probably believes otherwise now." Alfred blushed and kept walking. 

"Oh." 

Tolik clapped him on the back. 

Once they entered the dining hall, the four of them sat at the much smaller table offered. Clara and Arthur were across the room, conversing with someone who must have been a noble of some sort. Alfred waved to them, and his mother blew a kiss in return while he father waved back. The seating arrangements were much more relaxed than they were at dinner, so Alfred seated himself next to his brother, with Ivan sitting on his other side. Tolik sat on the other side of the table and struck up a conversation with Matthew about an architectural question he must have asked earlier. Ivan smiled down at Alfred, and he responded with his own shaky one. Their food was brought out nearly immediately after and the youngest man was as much thankful for the distraction as he was for the food. He hadn't realized how hungry he was until he saw it, but now it was all he could do to not shovel it into his mouth—the fork an after thought. 

_ Manners,  _ he sternly reminded himself. He ate at what could be considered a normal pace, only stopping when he heard his name spoken. He nearly blurted out his question with his mouth full of food, but stopped himself to swallow before asking, "What?" 

"We were talking about a hunt we would go on...And we thought perhaps you would like to come." 

Alfred was at a loss at what to say. Almost as if he could sense his trepidation, Tolik quickly added onto Ivan's statement. "It would be a long while before we would go. Long into the winter, actually. And you would not have to participate if you do not want to." Ivan nodded along and Alfred let out a sigh of relief. 

"That sounds like it could be nice." Matthew quirked an eyebrow and took a sip of his water. 

They finished with their meal, servants quickly coming out to clear the table before them. Both Alfred and Matthew stated their thanks, and this time Ivan did not question the behavior. Matthew was the first to stand, quietly suggesting that they retire to the library. Alfred wanted to object. Libraries were stuffy and boring unless he was playing a game with someone else. Yet when Ivan murmured that he'd like to, Alfred found himself agreeing. Mercifully Tolik challenged him to another few rounds of chess and Alfred readily accepted. 

This time when they traveled, Ivan stuck close to Alfred's side. Close enough that their fingers brushed against each other a few times. Each time Alfred would try to subtly look up to see if Ivan had meant to do it, or if he even acknowledged it. Each time though Ivan faced straight forward. Alfred cursed himself for overthinking it before they reached the library. Alfred immediately plopped himself in the same chair next to the large window he sat in yesterday, and Tolik took his place across from him yet again. 

Matthew wished his brother luck as he went to snag a book off a shelf and nestled himself into a sofa. Ivan stood close to both Alfred and the man's guard for an awkward beat or two, but the younger man was too busy putting the pieces in their starting positions to notice. Tolik did notice however, though he didn't call attention to it. Ivan pretended he was looking for a book to read, pulling one out at random before sitting at a chair close to the now-beginning chess match. He flicked through the pages for appearance's sake, though his eyes followed the movements of his Stunnish fiancee. 

Neither of the two competing men spoke the entire time, only breaking the silence once Alfred dead-panned, "Check." 

Tolik grumbled and moved his king out of harm's way. Alfred moved another piece and repeated, "Check." Ivan was surprised. Tolik was the one who had taught him the game, and he was not easy to beat. He supposed that the giant man could be faking it, but the crease in his brow suggested otherwise.

He sat the book aside, the effort it took to feign interest in it was not worth it. Another few moments of quiet passed before Alfred once again spoke. "Check mate." Alfred looked nearly as surprised as his guard did, smiling widely at him. "Oh wow, I didn't think you would lose that quickly." Tolik guffawed and leaned over the table between them to ruffle the prince's hair, messing the headdress's placement in the process. Alfred laughed and tried to fix the jewelry, however even when he was done the gold links were still lopsided. 

Ivan wanted nothing more than to fix it, wanted nothing more than an excuse to touch Alfred. He suppressed the idea for then and instead watched as Alfred set up another game. 

Not looking up from the board, Alfred teased, "You go first this time." 

"Again, white always goes first, little one." 

"I know. But you've lost so many times now that I wanted to at least give you a change." Tolik stood in mock outrage. 

"How  _ dare _ you? I treat you as my own and this is how you repay me?" Alfred snorted. Tolik took the two strides it required to reach Ivan, and ushered him out of the chair. "Go. You take my place. Avenge me and show this boy some humility." 

Alfred remained seated, an almost angelic look on his face. "I am plenty humble. I just happen to be much smarter than you apparently." Tolik sputtered and Ivan reclined in the chair the huge man abandoned. Tolik made sure to wink at Ivan before slipping away, still going on about how disrespectful Alfred was to his elders. He had planned this, Ivan knew then. And was thankful for it. 

"Do you, um..." Ivan turned his attention back to Alfred. "Do you mind playing with me?" He shook his head and looked down at the board before frowning. He used one finger to spin the board around. The blonde looked up at him questioningly but did not speak. 

Ivan shrugged. "I prefer playing white, if that is fine with you." Alfred hummed in agreement and waited for Ivan to make the first move. He did and the game was on. They both worked in silence. Ivan because he preferred it, Alfred because he was trying to concentrate. Already most of his pieces had been taken, and if he was not careful his king would follow not long after. Ivan noticed the way Alfred chewed at his bottom lip and stared for perhaps a moment too long. 

"It's your turn." 

He absentmindedly nodded, choosing a pawn and moving it two spaces forward. Ivan said nothing, only continued moving pieces and capturing one after another of Alfred's own. The blonde was growing more confused each second, knitting his eyebrows together and biting the pad of his thumb. Ivan propped his ankle up on his opposite knee. 

Eventually Alfred looked up and smiled. "You're going to have a checkmate in two turns no matter what I do." 

"Hm?" The Stunnish prince pointed out the moves it would take. Ivan hadn't even noticed, content to just let the game progress. "So it seems," Ivan conceded. 

"Do you want to play again?" With a bob of the silver-haired man's head, Alfred began putting the pieces back. 

As he had the last round, Ivan started first. They went a few more moves in the game, this time Ivan concentrating on the board. He peered up as soon as Alfred began speaking to him, quiet enough as to not disturb Tolik or Matthew while they read. "Where did you learn to play like this? You're much better than Tolik was. Even better than my brother, actually. And that truly is saying something." Ivan took a moment to notice the way Alfred sat, the way the cloth loosely covering him still showed his stomach, the transparency of the material on his legs showed the muscles in his thighs. 

"Yekaterina was. It took me a long while to begin to beat her. She taught Natalia as well, though she is an absolute monster at it. I don't believe I've ever beaten her since she passed the age of thirteen." He moved another piece over Alfred's, picking up the black rook and setting it on his side of the board. Alfred whistled lowly. 

"Our mother was the one to teach us. She's really great at it. So is Mattie. My father and I are alright." He mostly kept his eyes on the table before them, though every so often his blue eyes met Ivan's. The other man had barely looked away while he was talking. Alfred was a little embarrassed from the attention, and he ducked his head once more. He could still feel the other's eyes on him though. 

"You're doing just fine. I'm sure with practice you can beat me." Alfred didn't miss the small smirk on Ivan's lips, and he snorted.

"I suppose we'll have the time." 

Ivan looked around them, checking to make sure that neither Tolik nor Alfred's brother were paying attention. Alfred felt a little anxious to know what Ivan wished to say to him. After another beat Ivan murmured, "How do you feel about this? Our...Marriage." 

Alfred coughed. "I...Do we have to talk about this here?" 

The Niriktian man stood then, extending a hand towards Alfred. "If you want to go somewhere else, we can. Or if you'd...rather stay here. Or I can leave if you would prefer me to." He shifted slightly, his hand falling an inch. Alfred stood hurriedly and took it. 

"I don't mind." He smiled reassuringly, and Ivan felt his face begin to imitate the motion. Tolik coughed and Ivan waved him off. Matthew similarly sprung to attention, and Alfred assured him that they'd be back soon. Once the older brother nodded, they exited the library together. Ivan took the lead with Alfred following just a half step behind him once again. "Where do you want to go?" He didn't much mind, simply wanted to try and memorize which area of the castle they were traveling to. 

"My bedroom." Ivan looked back at him and quickly added, "That is, if  _ you _ don't mind. It's more private than most areas here are." 

He shook his head then. "I don't mind." There wasn't much else to say then, the words Alfred wanted to blurt out burned on his tongue. He managed to wait until they reached what he assumed were Ivan's chambers, as the larger man opened the door and held it open for the other man to enter. He did so, noting several things about the room at once. For starters, it was so much cleaner than his side of the room he shared with Matthew. It was cleaner than his bedroom back in Cattingstun as well. Another was that there was a doorway that led to a personal bath. Alfred opened his mouth to ask if he could use it sometime, but clamped it shut before he could. He turned back towards Ivan as the older man closed the door. Ivan motioned for him to take a seat on the bed, and Alfred did so. 

It took a moment, but Ivan sat next to him, with a foot or two separating them. Alfred was thankful for the small space between them, his nerves getting the best of him. He didn't mind physical intimacy with others, welcomed it most of the time usually. He was no stranger to getting close with other men either, though there was something about the context of their situation that stopped him. With a sigh, he began speaking. "You asked me earlier what I thought about getting married." Ivan said nothing, simply wanted Alfred to continue. "I...Well, it's odd to say the least. I mean, I wasn't asked about it. I assume you weren't either." Ivan shook his head. No, he too had been given no choice on the matter. Alfred sighed again, leaning back on one elbow, drawing up the opposite knee closer to his chest. He twisted his body so that he faced towards Ivan, though the older man did not offer him the same courtesy. The furs he lay on were soft, nicer even than the sheets in his room. He wondered briefly about what it would be like to be underneath them. To be underneath them  _ with _ Ivan. He quickly erased the thought from his mind.

"Do you like it here?" The question was out of Ivan's mouth before he had a chance to think about it. Very unlike him.

With a shrug, Alfred answered neutrally. "Do you want my honest opinion?"

"Nothing you could say about this place would offend me, I promise."

Alfred laughed, the sound a pleasant thing. "Well. It's so much colder, and it's so grey here. The most welcoming person has been your sister—the older one." Ivan had assumed. Natalya would rather throw him off the top of the building than make nice. "Wait." Only then did Ivan notice what he said. He cocked his head to the side and raised a brow. "Not that you haven't also been really welcoming, I just meant—" Ivan held up his hand and Alfred halted.

"It's fine. I haven't always been the best since you arrived, I understand. Yekaterina has always been better than I have with...People in general." Alfred chuckled softly. There were a few ways he could respond to that, though all of them could have been taken the wrong way, so he dropped it.

Ivan scratched the back of his head. “You will have to learn Niriktian at some point, I imagine.” At Alfred’s sigh he looked back. He snickered at the look on his face. 

“Are you sure? Everyone seems to speak Stunnish so far…” To say his voice was a whine would not have been inaccurate, though he would have refused the accusation if pointed out. 

Normally Ivan would have lost his patience, especially if he was speaking with Natalia. He took a moment to make sure his voice came out even, calm. “You have hardly met every person in this country. Not everyone will speak Stunnish, and you might not be with someone who can translate for you.” Alfred said nothing. “It will not be hard. And if I know Stunnish, it would be fair for you to do the same.” 

For a moment, Ivan thought Alfred simply wouldn’t respond. He plucked at the furs. “Mattie knows Niriktian. It’s not that they don’t teach us.” This time Ivan was silent as Alfred continued. “They tried to teach me too, once I was old enough. Well...A little after then, to be honest. Mattie was always better with lessons and I…” He took a deep breath. “I wasn’t. Um. Sorry. In any case, I just was never good at learning, especially languages.” 

“What if I taught you?” 

Alfred’s head perked up before turning back to his folded hands. “The last instructor that tried gave up on me.” 

“What if I promise you I won’t?” Finally Ivan turned fully to face Alfred, meeting eyes with him. 

“I…” He couldn’t fight the smile that began to stretch. He bit his lip and schooled his expression. “Thank you.” Ivan was left breathless, so he nodded instead. 

A silence followed then. Though unlike all the other times conversation had died between them it was not awkward. Alfred licked his lips before muttering, "I had to end things with a boy once my parents told me." 

Though he said nothing, Alfred noticed the way Ivan stiffened. "It wasn't serious with him. Not really anyway." He ran one hand through a bear's fur, tanned fingers still a stark contrast against the dark brown coat. He wasn't sure why he had told Ivan about his past relationship in all honesty. Ivan watched as Alfred stroked one of the pelts silently for a minute. 

"They put sheets on this bed at first." Ivan diverted the conversation then, not liking the sour look that began to cross Alfred's face. 

"I like these." 

Ivan was startled at the comment, though his expression did not change. "Thank you." There was a long pause before he spoke again, choosing to sit forward and rest his elbows on his thighs. "The sheets were your country's colors, but I...was not so accepting of our arrangement at first, I will admit. I threw them away the first chance I got." 

Alfred snorted. "I wasn't keen on the idea at first either." Ivan wasn't surprised. Especially if he had been told stories about him like Ivan had. "I passed out when they first told me." 

This Ivan was surprised to hear. 

"We were all at dinner, and everyone started yelling and I already wasn't feeling well..." He broke off at the end with a short, bitter laugh. "Sorry, that must sound so pathetic." Ivan shook his head, looking back at Alfred again. 

"I can't say my reaction was much better. It was worse honestly." Alfred had taken to lying on his back fully, using his hands to support his head—much like he had two days prior. Ivan did his best not to stare. He turned back, fighting the urge to bounce his leg or twiddle his thumbs like he had when he was a child. Time and his mother's... _ insistence... _ had broken him of the habits. 

After a beat, Alfred realized Ivan wasn't going to go on without prodding. "What do you mean?" 

He sighed, resolutely keeping his body angled away so he wouldn't have to look the Stunnish boy in the face. "I do not want you to think less of me." He spoke so quietly that Alfred nearly didn't hear him. He sat up then, unsure of what to do. 

Alfred opened his mouth and closed it twice. "I won't." Ivan wanted to laugh. Of course he wouldn't be saying that if he knew anything about Ivan. 

For a long while neither of them moved. Alfred began to say that maybe he should leave when Ivan sucked in a breath. "I went...I was...I was so angry..." Alfred immediately stilled again. "The night they told me I got drunk and smashed nearly everything I could get my hands on." He felt physically ill telling Alfred this. But he was the first person aside from Tolik and his sister to seem like he genuinely cared. Ah, and that was the problem. "I should not be telling you this." 

"Ivan, it's alright—" 

"No," he said gruffly, immediately regretting it. When he spoke next his tone was much softer. "No, I am sorry. I have taken up too much of your time." He stood and tried to make his expression as neutral as possible. There was no reason for Alfred to worry about him, or see that he was anything less than apathetic. 

"Ivan..." He didn't end the sentence, simply slipped off the bed and looked up at the larger man. "I'll see you at dinner, right?" 

"Of course." He made his best attempt at a smile, though he had the feeling he failed to make it look like anything but a grimace. He walked Alfred to the door and let him out, calling out his name gently before the blonde could leave. He turned around, turning his eyes upwards to look at Ivan without moving his head. "I, ah, for what it is worth. Am a lot less angry about our situation now. You..." He cut himself off abruptly. "As I said, I'll see you at dinner." Alfred nodded, mouth dry and at a loss of what to say anyway. He waved jerkily before walking away. Ivan watched until he turned the corner and was out of sight before shutting the door behind him and sitting back down on his mattress. He ran his hands through his hair and slumped on his back just as Alfred had.

"Fuck," he said to no one in particular and closed his eyes. 

 

\----------------

 

Matthew slipped into the warm water beside his brother, passing him the soaps for his hair as he did. Alfred leaned back against the edge of the in-ground bath and worked the sweeter smelling soap in first. His older brother was never really one to prod other people for information, yet when Alfred didn't immediately tell him something he knew it was odd. He tried to wait for the younger to explain of his own accord, but it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon. So he bumped his shoulder against Alfred's and lifted an eyebrow. "So...What happened with Ivan?" 

Alfred groaned, taking a moment to dunk his head underwater and scrubbed quickly before he ran out of breath. He surfaced again and sunk his body lower, leaving only his head and neck exposed. He rested his dome on the lip of the giant tub and spoke towards the air. "It was...Nice at first. To just talk openly about this. He's the only one that really understands." Before Matthew could object, he corrected himself. "I mean, you understand. Mostly. But you aren't the one being sent to a foreign country for half a year every year for the rest of your life to marry a man who up until a few days ago you didn't know." Matthew nodded. "He knows what this is like though, he has to experience it too." Matthew knew what to do to comfort him at this time, and it was just to give him a pat on the knee and listen to what Alfred was saying. He didn't need to respond, just let his younger sibling get everything off his chest. "I think he was going to tell me something personal, but he stopped. He said he 'didn't want me to think less of him.'" Matthew hummed and Alfred stopped talking. 

They continued washing and two more men entered the bathhouse. One man went to the opposite side of the room, plenty far away for them to keep conversing without fear of anyone eavesdropping. The other man however sat directly across from them. Alfred scowled, using the lathering soap to mask his frustration. The man spread his arms on the side of the bath and simply  _ stared  _ at the two brothers. 

"Can we help you?" Alfred asked after a few minutes of this. He had already rinsed his hair again and wanted to get out, but if this man was going to continue staring at them...

He ignored the question and fired back with one of his own. "You two are...Eh...twins?" His voice was heavily accented, much more so than even Tolik's. Alfred had forgotten about the language difference, and looked to Matthew. 

" _ Nyet. _ " 

" _ Vy khotite trakhat'sya? _ " 

In a flurry of motion, Matthew stood and growled out, " _ Nyet, _ " once again. It was so much harsher than the last time that Alfred had no clue what to do. 

"Mattie—" 

"We're going." 

" _ Chto na schet tvoyego brata? On krasiveye. Vyglyadit kak shlyukha. Dayte yego mne v techeniye nochi. _ " Alfred didn't know what the other man was saying, but whatever it was sent a cold shiver down his spine when it was paired with the hungry look he gave the younger man. He started to move towards them then, Alfred stuck in place even as Matthew tugged on his arm. The water meant that all of this happened so slowly, the way the man cupped his cheek, moving his mouth close to Alfred's ear to whisper into it. 

"Zatknis _ , Ili ya ub'yu tebya.” _

Had Alfred not recognized that voice, he would have been terrified. The man released him like he was burning, hurriedly taking steps backwards from them. A towel was held out in front of him so he stood, letting it be wrapped around his waist. Matthew was similarly covered when he turned around. He didn't want to see what the stranger was doing behind his back, but instead let Tolik place a hand on his back and help him step out of the bath. "We are leaving, little ones." Some more words left the bodyguard's mouth that Alfred did not understand, but they were not directed at him, and they were not loud enough for the other man to hear as they were shepherded out, so he did not ask. Their clothes were hurriedly grabbed and shoved in their hands, and Matthew wrapped another towel around Alfred's shoulders before they crossed the hall to enter their rooms. Tolik ushered them inside Alfred's room and closed and locked the door behind them. 

"What," Alfred panted. "Was that?" Matthew and the Niriktian man exchanged a harried look, neither wanting to tell Alfred exactly what had transpired. 

When Alfred glared at his brother, Matthew guilty answered him. "He, ah, was rather aggressive with..." 

Tolik cut in for him, to which the older brother looked to be relieved with. "He wanted you two. I told him I would kill him." Alfred whispered a soft  _ oh,  _ clutching his meager outfit tighter to his chest. Normally he loved attention but it was so much different when he was already nervous in the public bathhouse, and the fact that he seemed so forceful about his words, and Alfred hadn't even understood what he was saying at the time...He shuddered, the second towel slipping off one of his shoulders. Tolik patted him on the back. "Get dressed, little ones. It is almost time for dinner. I will wait out here." The brothers nodded and thanked the large man. Matthew locked the door once more behind him, and they dressed quickly. 

Matthew finished long before Alfred did, and he set about putting on Alfred's necklaces while the younger slipped on bracelet after bracelet. Neither boy wanted to talk about what had just occurred a few minutes ago. Not just then anyway. Still, Matthew squeezed his brother's hand reassuringly before they stepped out of the room to meet with Tolik once more. He eyed them skeptically, though thankfully did not say anything. 

They set about walking, Stunnish princes side by side with their guard in front. Their journey was much quieter than perhaps it had ever been. Just before they reached the doors to the dining hall, Alfred tugged lightly on Tolik's arm, stopping him from entering. When Matthew turned around, Alfred motioned for him to go on. He did so, leaving the other two alone. 

"Um...Could you consider not telling Ivan?" 

"I do not like keeping secrets from him, little one. Just as I would not keep one from you." 

Alfred sighed, playing with the necklace Matthew had given him years ago. "I know. But I want to tell him later. And he seems so stressed now, I don't want to add to that." 

The older man's face softened. "Ah, I understand." He understood more perhaps than he let on, though he said nothing more. He set one large hand on the boy's shoulder and led him inside the grand dining hall. Alfred quickly made his way to his seat, his desire to enter into any more conversations was at its lowest. 

Ivan was already seated, fiddling with one of the buttons on his coat. Alfred would probably never understand the appeal to wearing so many clothes. Though if it was what kept Niriktians alive in the winter so be it. Thankfully the other prince seemed to be in a cheerier mood than earlier. Rather, as cheery a mood as Ivan was capable of expressing. Still, Alfred appreciated the smile he received and offered one of his own once he took his place next to his betrothed. Only then did Alfred realize he had left the scarf Ivan had given him on his bed. He tucked his hands under the table in his lap and hoped that Ivan wouldn't notice. 

"Did you have a nice bath?" 

The question startled Alfred, and he sputtered out, "H-how did you know?" Instead of answering, Ivan pointed at his still-dampened hair. Alfred subconsciously tucked a lock behind his ear and looked away. "It was fine," he finally decided on giving as an answer. If Ivan doubted him, he did not show it. Dinner was served not long after, the noise volume in the hall too much for Alfred to handle. He felt unwell, still disturbed by the man from earlier. Had Tolik not showed up when he did, would the man have escalated the situation? And Alfred hadn't even known what was going on until after the fact. 

He rolled around a meatball on his plate, leaving much of the meal untouched. He had sent his salad back with only a bite taken out of it, and when they came to collect the entree it was the same. Ivan set his jaw when Alfred politely declined the desert offered, knowing that despite the fact that they had only been acquainted for a short while, this was very much unlike Alfred. He offered a forkful of the strawberry tart to him, but again Alfred refused with an apologetic grin. "What is wrong?" 

"Nothing!" The answer came much too quick to be convincing. Alfred scolded himself internally. The look on Ivan's face made him look down at the table in front of him. "Nothing important anyway." 

Ivan put a hand on his arm then, surprising him enough to look into Ivan's violet eyes. Alfred noted that they really were beautiful 

"If it upsets you, I want to know about it." Alfred hung his head again. Ivan stood, still staying by Alfred's side. "We can go somewhere to talk if you wish...?" 

Alfred wanted to, he truly did. Yet there was some part of him that knew he  _ couldn't.  _ So they left each other after dinner, each confused. Alfred didn't wait for anyone, simply walked briskly back to his room. He shucked off his clothes and ripped off his jewelry, leaving angry red marks and scratches over his wrists. He cut his chin when trying to pull off a necklace that wouldn't fit over his head, finally just breaking the chain around the nape of his neck. Each golden piece was thrown to the floor, though the fur covering stone kept them from harm. 

When he was done he was shaking and panting. He scrubbed harshly at his cheek, trying in vain to erase the memory of the man's touch. 

He hated it, hated how it made him feel. 

Try as he might he could not recall the pronunciation of words that had been murmured into his ear. He clapped one hand over his left ear, the ghost tickle of breath on it enough to rip a wail from his throat. He climbed in bed, agitation rapidly turning to anger. He rubbed his wrists gently, grimacing at the friction burns that decorated them. They would fade soon, but he hated them all the same. Hated that he had never been blessed with hindsight to stop himself from his impulsive actions. Hated that he hadn't walked away from the man while he still had the choice before Tolik saved him. He held his cheek again, closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath to quell his hyperventilating. 

Matthew arrived not long after, slipping into the room and closing the door behind him so slowly there was hardly a  _ click  _ and it was fully closed. The lock was louder though, none of Matthew's carefulness could have stopped the metallic clang as it slid into place. Alfred said nothing. 

There was hardly any noise as Matthew dressed for bed, even less as he crouched to pick up the discarded jewelry off the rug. 

After another few moments, the older boy blew out the candles lighting the room and slipped into bed beside his brother, leaving Alfred a few feet between them for personal space. He shifted so that he faced him though, knowing full well that Alfred was not yet asleep. "I looked for you. No one saw where you went." Alfred mumbled out a  _ sorry.  _ "I asked Ivan. He said he saw you walking in the direction of our room, alone." Alfred repeated himself again. Matthew sighed, reaching out with one hand to scratch at Alfred's scalp. "Don't apologize. I'm just glad you ended up being in here." 

Neither of them said anything while Alfred maneuvered himself so that he was closer to Matthew, rolling so that he faced the opposite wall.Matthew continued to play with Alfred's hair. "Tolik said there'd be someone to watch our door tonight, just in case. He knows who the man is, though he doesn’t think he'll bother us again." 

"I don't care," Alfred mumbled. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"Fine." 

His brother knew it was a lie. Of course he knew. He just hummed though and gave Alfred's head a final rub. When Alfred whined, Matthew shushed him. "Just go to sleep, Al. We have plans tomorrow." Alfred wanted to protest, merely out of spite of the fact that he wasn't young enough to require a bedtime any longer. The weariness that had followed him since their bath demanded otherwise though, so he merely settled under the covers deeper and fell into a dreamless sleep. 

 

\----------------

 

Ivan woke the next morning and sniffed at the chill that had settled in his room. The cold made him reluctant to get up, as did the early hour. Still, the window needed to be shut, and another layer applied to his body before the shivers would subside. He idly hoped it would warm up later in the day, or at least the sun would show itself for the first time in two weeks. 

Still, the temperature drop worried him. He never looked forward to the beginnings of winter, and—for what seemed like the millionth time in his life—prayed that the season would not come early this year. He scrubbed his face with his hands and stared up at the ceiling for a moment, gritting his teeth so they did not chatter. When  he realized he could hardly feel his fingertips he hauled himself out of his bed and closed his window, making his way to the wardrobe after. He selected a long sleeved shirt to go underneath his usual coat, then set about hunting for a pair of trousers for the day. 

Once he was dressed he looked outside, trying to gauge what time it was. It was still far earlier than he needed to be awake, so he picked his book up and continued reading. 

Or rather, attempted to. The thoughts of what had been bothering Alfred that he had staved off since he awoke came flooding back, and he found it increasingly harder to ignore them. 

Thankfully he was not left to his own devices for long, a knock at the door interrupting his brooding process. Once told to come in, Katyusha poked her head inside the door and smiled widely. "Oh! You're awake!" Ivan nodded and she entered the room fully. He never bothered to tell her not to come in. As long as he was clothed or not in the middle of something more...precarious, she felt it alright to come in. "Breakfast is beginning soon if you wanted to join Natalia and me." He considered for a moment before shaking his head. 

"Were you going to wait until Alfred was awake?" She teased. He glared at her even as she laughed. "I just thought I would offer. I will make sure we are gone before the rest of you show up. No need to create further drama. Though I saw Matthew and he said that he would try to wake Alfred soon. Maybe you should go over to his room as extra incentive." 

"Yekaterina—" 

Before he could threaten her she skipped back out, closing the door behind herself. Ivan settled back down, picking up his discarded book. After another unsuccessful few minutes of reading he tossed it back down. With a sigh he stood and made his way to his boots to slide them on. He checked in the mirror above his dresser and grimaced at his reflection. He combed his hair with his fingers until he deemed the style satisfactory and slipped out of his room. 

Within just a minute or two he was outside Alfred's room, light pleading coming from the other side of the wood. He leaned back against the wall like he had the day previous and waited. And waited. And continued to wait until finally he heard Alfred's quiet mumbling. He knocked on the door then, straightening up when it opened nearly instantly. "Perfect timing," Tolik greeted him, Ivan nodding in response. 

He looked over the man's shoulder, craning his neck to do so. Alfred was out of sight, though Matthew was rushing about to help him get ready. "I was going to invite Alfred to breakfast." 

Matthew perked his head up at that, biting his tongue so he didn't voice  _ and I suppose the rest of us are not here?  _  Alfred blearily said, "I'm hungry." At last his shirt was in place, the loop around his neck no longer caught in his earrings. Ivan took a look at his outfit once Tolik stepped aside and allowed him through the doorway. The shirt he was wearing was twisted so that it began from the back of his neck, then went down to cover each pec and met in the back. Little golden droplets were tied into the middle of the blue fabric and dangled above his sternum. His pants were the same color, loose and puffed out only to cling to his ankles with a golden band. His trousers hung from his hips in such a way that if they were even the tiniest bit bigger they would fall off completely. Ivan sucked in a breath slowly before tearing his eyes away. Alfred hadn't noticed thankfully, too busy wiping the sleep from his eyes. When Ivan met Tolik's eyes though, he could see the older man had indeed noticed. He was too embarrassed to see if Matthew had as well. 

"Good morning, Ivan." Alfred was looking at him, barely able to keep his eyes open as he swayed just barely. "It is morning, right?" 

"I—ah, yes. It is," Ivan responded. 

Alfred hummed. "Good morning then." 

"...Good morning." Alfred pointed at his night stand, and Ivan turned to see what it was. Matthew moved to grab it for him, and Ivan watched as the older of the brothers tied it around the younger's wrist, murmuring something quietly enough so that Ivan could not hear. Once the task was done Ivan could see that it was the scarf he had given Alfred. His heart sped up a little to see it, and he wondered if it was going to be a regular part of Alfred's dress. He wanted that to be the case. Two necklaces were put on Alfred, then one armlet for each arm, and finally a gold chain was wrapped around his waist. Ivan noted that it only called more attention to the muscles on his stomach, his navel piercing, the hair that undoubtedly began below his pant's hem... 

"I'm ready." Ivan's gaze snapped back up to see that Alfred was yet again looking right at him, head cocked ever so slightly. Ivan was worried that he had been the one to catch him this time, though when he smiled Ivan couldn't help but do the same. The tender moment passed when Tolik clapped his prince on the shoulder, roughly spinning him around. 

"I heard they had Brelan sausage today. I want to make it there before it is all gone, yes?" Ivan nearly growled, but thought better of it when he remembered Alfred was behind him. 

Soon enough they were all seated, Alfred's plate stacked high with sausage, rolls, and various fruits. Ivan never would have imagined consuming so much at once, but the blonde managed it. He wasn't surprised really, considering how little he had eaten last night. He saw Alfred eyeing his bread rolls, and looked away as he slid his plate towards him, a grin tugging at his lips when Alfred hesitantly took two off it. "Thank you." Ivan waved him off, though he did snag a grape off Alfred's own dish. Alfred's betrayed expression was enough to make Ivan chuckle as he popped the green fruit into his mouth. 

The queen and king of Cattingstun entered the hall after that, Alfred and Matthew both greeting them happily. Clara rushed over to give both her boys kisses on the forehead and Arthur wrapped an arm around Matthew while ruffling Alfred's hair. Ivan was taken aback, actually stunned at the lack of formality between them. Both parents said hello to Ivan at nearly the same time, and he blinked before replying slowly. 

Clara sat down next to Tolik on the other side of the table, Arthur taking his place beside her. Ivan was still dumbfounded. He hadn't seen the entire family interact since he had first met them, and he was absolutely amazed at how they all seemed to get along as they chattered. The oldest prince said nothing this entire time, fading more into the background with each passing moment. 

"Ivan?" Her voice was so soft and lovely. It reminded him of Matthew. Rather, reminded him of Matthew speaking to almost anyone but him. The only time the heir really addressed Ivan was when he was angry at him for upsetting Alfred. When he faced her she continued. "Arthur and I were going horseback riding today. Would you like to join us?" 

There was no real reason to say yes, but Alfred blurted out that he wanted to come too, so Ivan agreed. 

Despite his actual wishes for the day, they stayed at breakfast far longer than Ivan would have liked. Though by the time they made their way outside the castle walls, the temperature had increased to a comfortable level. In all, Ivan, Alfred, his parents, and Tolik were to be the only ones riding. Matthew had declined his mother's invitation, stating that he wanted to spend his day in the library. Ivan couldn't blame him. By the time they made it to the stables he was already regretting his decision, and Yekaterina waiting for them did nothing to help. When she saw them, she jumped and waved an arm above her head. She called out to them, but Ivan noted with a roll of his eyes that they were much too far away to hear what she was shouting. It didn't take them long to reach her though, and Clara greeted her with a peck on the cheek. Yekaterina's riding outfit was the same as all her other ones. Tan colored pants paired with a loose green blouse and knee-high boots. She had picked out a headband that matched her shirt, and Ivan snickered at the coordination. He was thankful his own trousers were comfortable enough to ride in, and if he became overheated he could always take off his undershirt. 

"The horses are all ready to go. Our lunches are all packed as well, we just have to make sure not to lose the horse they are on." The stable master appeared behind her, wiping his dirty hands on an almost equally dirty cloth. 

He spoke first in Niriktian, motioning for them to follow. "He will show us which mount is ours," Yekaterina translated. It was mostly for Alfred's sake, and he knew this. He flushed slightly, not noticing the soft gaze Ivan fixed on him. 

Immediately Tolik set off to his personal stallion, leaving the rest of them in the master's hands. They passed by the first horse, the stable master pointed at Clara, then at the pretty chestnut mare in the second stall. He told her to get on, and she made her way to do so. Arthur helped her up, though Ivan was sure she could have managed on her own. Once both feet were in the stirrups, she leaned over and kissed her husband. Ivan furrowed his brow, but the stable master urged them to continue on. They walked by two more horses before Yekaterina hopped in the stall with her own steed and mounted. Arthur's horse was an older quarter horse. He had to be supported as he got on, Alfred whispering that it was due to his bad knee. Had it not been the blonde telling him this, Ivan would have responded that he did not care. 

A lovely palomino was chosen for Alfred. He stroked her nose for a moment before the stable master impatiently cleared his throat. Ivan shot him a look and he backed off, though Alfred had already begun to lift himself onto the horse. He swung his right leg over it and settled in the leather saddle. 

"Are you comfortable?" 

"Yes." Alfred smiled at him reassuringly and rocked himself so that he was centered on the horse's back. Ivan nodded and stepped away, crossing to the other half of the barn to find his mustang. The beast had been his since he was sixteen years of age, and was as much a familiar pet as he'd ever had. He named the black nightmare of a creature Sergei. It listened to no one but him and the stable master, and he had never been prouder. He mounted quickly, and the master whistled, yelling for them all to follow him out. Yekaterina left first with the extra horse carrying their food, mirthfully informing them that she'd be their guide for the afternoon. Arthur and Clara followed, with Alfred right after. Tolik pulled out before Ivan urged Sergei forward, and their little group made it out of the stables within moments. 

Yekaterina led them towards a little path that Ivan knew well. It would take them into the woods towards a nice pasture, then loop back around towards the castle again. Ivan frowned when he remembered that it would take a few hours to make the full round. Well, she had said that lunch had been provided for them at least. Thankfully the path was wide enough that Ivan could ride Sergei a little faster to put himself next to Alfred. Tolik let him pass easily enough.

"Hello," he greeted when he was in position to. 

"Hello." Alfred's mouth turned upwards upon seeing him. Ivan didn't respond, content to be close to him for then. 

The horses' hooves clattered against the wooden bridge as they made their way over a little creek. "Katyusha?" Alfred had to raise his voice to be heard all the way in the front. His sister turned slightly to indicate she had heard him. "What's my horse's name?" 

"Yours?" She craned her neck to see his mount, as if she hadn't been the one to pick it out. "Oh, that is Dina. She is very sweet, loves apples." She turned back around just in time to avoid a branch being caught in her hair. 

"What's his name?" Alfred gestured towards Ivan's mustang. 

"Sergei. I named him after my uncle." 

"Oh? Do you get along with him?" 

"He is dead." 

Alfred softly repeated, "Oh." 

Tolik piped up from behind them. "Little one you should not talk much on a horse. Might bite your tongue." Alfred shifted himself so he could make a face at his bodyguard, inciting a laugh from the older man. 

For a long time no one said anything. Ivan merely concentrated on keeping his back straight and how Alfred was doing. He appeared to be fascinated by everything, eyes wide nearly the whole time at the huge trees that surrounded them, quietly commenting whenever he saw a particularly beautiful flower along the way. After a time, even Ivan began to relax, letting his head tilt back to stare at the tops of the trees. Sergei's pace was enough so that he rocked gently, giving the illusion that the earth was tilting around him as they went. A breeze rolled over them, carrying the scent of the forest with it. Ivan inhaled deeply and shut his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth that pervaded the thicket. When he opened his eyes again, he glanced over at Alfred. 

He was hunched over the horn of the saddle, one hand stroking his mare's neck again, the other kept the horn from digging in his stomach. He was looking in Ivan's direction, though not straight at him. He had a leaf in his hair, and before Ivan could stop himself, he leaned over to remove it. Alfred was started out of his reverie, nearly pulling away from Ivan before stilling himself. Ivan showed him the foliage before tossing it behind them. 

"Are you feeling alright?" 

At first it was hard to tell if Alfred was nodding or it was just his body's natural movement from the ride, but then Alfred verbally confirmed that he was fine. "Are you?" 

Ivan affirmed that he too was fine and they slipped into silence once more. The ride was smooth, Yekaterina successfully guiding them around any muddy parts of the path and steering clear of any rougher terrain. It was a long while before the field they were going to rest in came into view. Yekaterina yelled back that they would dismount and leave the horses untied. Ivan knew they were well enough trained to not travel far, especially when they were as much in need of a rest as their human companions. They made it to the center of the field before Yekaterina shifted herself so that her body rested on the left side of the horse, jumping off when it shifted to a slow pace. She took a few jogging transition steps, bending over and switching her weight to the tips of her to stretch her legs. 

Sergei came to a stop and Ivan removed himself from the horse's back, noting that the rulers of Cattingstung did the same. Tolik was noisy as he clambered off, the relief of both man and beast no doubt incredible. Ivan had been planning to get off his mount as soon as possible so that he could make an appearance by Alfred's side again, offering him assistance back down to the ground. 

Alfred had gotten himself so that one foot remained in the left stirrup, eyeing the ground skeptically. Just as he jumped, Ivan's hands captured his waist and lowered him down gently. 

He let out a quiet gasp, then a little giggle when his feet met the grass. "Thank you," he said, blue eyes concentrated up at Ivan. 

"It is no problem," Ivan breathed out, amazed that his idea had pulled through. Alfred's skin had felt soft, he had noted. 

Clara made her way to the horse that held packs containing their meals. There were far more loaves of bread, cheese, and fruits than were required for six people, but Ivan supposed she packed with the idea that Matthew and Natalia were coming as well. After all, Natalia was usually the one to join her sister for these rides, and Yekaterina had taken a liking for both Alfred and his brother. Tolik went over to hold the items Clara and Yekaterina could not, and after his wife issued him an order, Arthur set about placing a few different blankets in the field. He walked over to Ivan and handed him one. "Go wherever you feel comfortable," he told Ivan kindly. 

He stood perplexed for a moment, not wanting to come off as rude and placing his blanket further away from everyone, but not feeling comfortable enough to sit with the main group. In the end he decided to unfold it a far enough distance away where he could be alone, but close enough that with a raised volume he could communicate with everyone else. 

Tolik, Clara and Ivan's sibling managed to gather everything and distributed it amongst those present. Ivan took his items and made his way to the dark blue cloth on the ground, sitting and spreading the food out on it. True to his earlier hopes, the sun managed to break through the clouds enough so that it warmed him enough to warrant the shedding of his coat. He did so, watching as Alfred sat with his parents. Ivan wouldn't have admitted that he was disappointed, choosing instead to quietly tuck his coat underneath him as a pillow, and pick up his bread and knife. When it refused to tear against the metal like he wanted, he scowled at it, using the same iron-grip technique with the cheese he cut to go on top. 

So involved was he with his angry little meal that he didn't notice when Alfred same to stand on the edge of the blanket, rocking back on his heels. "Mind if I join you?" 

Ivan's head whipped up, and he bobbed his head lamely. Alfred slipped off his sandals and sat across from Ivan, depositing his own lunch on the material. As he cut a few slices out of his loaf, he began with, "You know, despite the fact that we were sitting on those horses all day—and believe me when I say my ass has never been more sore—it's a treat to sit on the soft ground." Bread finished with, he moved onto slicing chunks of his cheese and pitting his strawberries. 

Dina had made her way over to her rider, snuffling at his shoulder until he laughed and fed her some of his fruits from the palm of his hand. 

"I know what you mean, though I suppose my 'ass'—as you called it—is used to riding." Alfred blushed a little at being confronted with his foul language and said nothing about Ivan's unintentional euphemism. 

"We don't get to ride a lot in my country, which is why my mother was so excited about doing so today," he replied idly before stacking the dairy and fruit on top of his bread and popping a bite into his mouth. "It is really fun though." Ivan took the opportunity to begin eating his own meal before responding. 

"Yekaterina drags me along at least once a week. We normally do not go this far out, but today seems to be special. Maybe because of you." 

Alfred snorted. "I know you're joking. But thank you." 

"Who said I was joking?" He said this with a smile threatening to break out on his face, and Alfred laughed. 

"Did Katyusha even know I was coming?" 

Ivan gestured in front of them. "With all the food she packed, I believe she assumed." 

"True," he nodded and got to work on another slice of his sandwich. He looked over at his parents, the two of them silently eating. Katyusha was talking to Tolik about something he had no chance of hearing. His gaze made its way back to Ivan, who had been staring at him for the past few moments. Before he could open his mouth to ask another question, Ivan cut in with one of his own. 

"Are you cold?" 

Alfred inelegantly replied with, "Huh?" 

With a motion that drew Alfred's attention to the goosebumps oh his arm, Ivan repeated himself. "Oh. I suppose a little, only because it's slightly colder than it has been though. I'll get used to it." Even as he spoke, Ivan began to peel his shirt off his torso. "What are you doing?" 

Ivan raised an eyebrow at him, arms and hemline level with his neck. "What does it look like?" 

Still, Alfred shook his head. "I don't need it, I'm fine, I swear." 

With a chuckle, Ivan asked, "Oh, you assume that I am going to give this to you?" He sputtered in an apology, and Ivan handed his shirt over. "I am kidding. Did you bring a jacket though?" Alfred shook his head. "Anything to put over yourself for warmth?" Again, Alfred shook his head. "Then take this. I am fine without it." Alfred held it in front of him for a long moment, biting his lip. After Alfred had accepted his shirt, he immediately put his coat back on, leaving no time for Alfred to notice his bare torso. He wasn't ashamed of his body, but the marks on it. 

"It's going to be too big." 

He hummed. "Just put it on." 

Alfred eyed it for a moment, but put it on anyway.

It wasn't soft. Rather, it was the stiffest material Alfred had ever in his life put on in a casual setting. He had to push the sleeves up so they did not engulf his hands, and he felt that if stood up without holding onto the bottom of it, it might've gone halfway to his knees. He hated high collars because it confined his neck too much to be comfortable, but Ivan was so much bigger than him that at least it drooped low enough so he didn't feel the need to constantly pull at it. And yet, despite all the grievances Alfred had with it, the shirt immediately warmed him, and it smelled like Ivan. So he kept it on his body. He dug his necklaces out from under the neckline and brought them over.

Ivan was watching him intently as he did so, head ducked to pretend like he was eating his meal, but eyes flickering up as Alfred moved. 

When Alfred returned the look, Ivan immediately jerked his head towards his lap. It wasn't subtle, but his companion didn't question it. They finished their lunches without word. Alfred was finally able to enjoy the feeling of the sun now that the cooler climate wasn't bothering him. He brushed the crumbs from the blanket, and set his knife beside Ivan before laying down on his front, arms acting as a pillow. Ivan remained sitting, though he did lean back and use his hands to support him. He stretched out his legs, and crossed one over the other. Alfred turned his head to look at him and smiled lazily. Ivan wanted to touch him, just to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear, or to rest a hand at the small of his back. 

Yet he didn't. 

Instead he shifted his weight to one hand, using the other to tug at the sleeve of his own shirt. "You know..." He waited for Alfred to take the bait. 

"What?" 

"If you are this cold already, we need to get you to a tailor for warmer clothes soon." Alfred whipped his arm out to smack Ivan on the knee lightly. He chuckled and tucked the offending appendage back under him. 

The way Ivan was staring at him then confused him. "What is it?" His voice came out muffled and tired. 

"I...Nothing." In truth, no one had ever playfully hit him like that before. To do so in the palace with people watching would have marked Alfred for death. Though the way he was so nonchalant about it, and how his forearm covered much of his face, only his eyes visible underneath his bangs. They were so bright. Ivan couldn't help but smile at him, Alfred moving his face up to return the gesture. Ivan slowly made his way onto his back, head just barely on the blanket. He let his hands rest on his stomach and closed his eyes. 

Another breeze rolled over the field, causing the long grass around them to stir. The sky still held clouds, some threatening rain. They were far away though, and the blue above him was only halted by softer white clouds. When he smelled the air he knew that colder weather was coming. When he looked back over at Alfred, he was beginning to doze off. 

Ivan thought for a moment that maybe—with Alfred there—winter wouldn't be so terrible. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeey remember this? i know it's been forever but im back. it's summer now and that means no school, so hopefully updates will be more regular. i've got the next chapter of [boiling point](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8279521/chapters/18966970) done, just needs to be proofread (by the wonderful and amazing iridian who proofs all my fics no less) 
> 
> find me on [tumblr](http://chainuser.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/maxalackin) for updates, ask me questions, whatever! i love making new mutuals! 
> 
> thank you!


	9. Chapter 9

Vil Nirikt, 1360

  
  


The Niriktian royal family had hired entertainment for the evening once the nobility from both countries had returned and bathed after their riding excursion. Everyone in the castle (who was not a servant, Alfred noted) was invited to the throne room where two long buffet tables were set up on either side of the room. Before the food was brought out, Alfred and his family were once again the center of attention as Ivan’s parents proclaimed that they were the reason such festivities could be had that night. When asked to stand, he managed to do so much more gracefully than he had the first time they were introduced. He gave a little wave to the cheering crowd, many of them already started on the never-ending ale that was offered. Alfred then sat down, sandwiched between Matthew and Ivan. They were placed closer to the end of the room where the thrones—with Vladimir and Darya upon them—were situated. Thankfully they were on the side that did not have to turn around to watch the acts, as Alfred was sure he would have made a complete mess of himself as excited and amazed with the performances as he was. Likewise, Matthew too was bewitched, though he was much more dignified about it. 

The acts included two jugglers who used flamed torches and tossed weapons at each other. A storyteller came after, whose tales enraptured every single soul in the room. His tragedies left hardly a dry eye in the house, and his comedies had a few inebriated falling from their benches. At last came a dancer from the country neighboring Cattingstun. Three musicians accompanied her, though her movements were certainly the main event. Her hips moved in a way that Alfred had never thought possible, and they were seated close enough the the occasional jingle of her silver jewelry could be heard. Alfred had a few drinks, not enough to make him act as much like a fool as some of the other audience members, however it was enough to make him pink-faced and giddy, slouching against Ivan for half the night. The older man had a much easier time of holding his alcohol, the only giveaway that he had had anything to drink was the slight glazed look in his eye. At one point he had turned just  _ so  _ that Alfred’s face was turned into his chest for a moment. Alfred in his state was content to leave it there, but Ivan hurriedly adjusted himself so that the Stunnish prince was once again pressed against his arm. Matthew drank one ale, slowly. Tolik let himself go enough that he was one of the ones stomping his feet and clapping his hands in time to the music, yelling encouragements at all the performers. Once they had wrapped up, the band played louder, and many patrons went to the middle of the floor to dance. Alfred had half a mind to pull Matthew up and join them, though he found that he was firmly affixed to his seat, head swimming at the slightest movement.

He did see his father drag his mother out, and he laughed and watched as the two swayed and twirled around shockingly in time with the beat. When Alfred tipped his head up to look at Ivan, the man had a soft smile on his face that Alfred did not often see. Katyusha danced with an array of men and women, and Natalya remained in her seat, glaring at something or other. The Niriktian king and queen stayed on their thrones, though at the very least they looked pleased at the joy and merriment that went on around them.  

All the events went on until early the next morning, and when Alfred and Matthew were finally able to return to their rooms, they immediately passed out after undressing. Alfred slept with his nose tucked into the scarf, inhaling deeply the scent Ivan had given him. When he dreamed it was of fire dancers and stories of love and triumph. 

The next day was unusually warm for that time of year, probably the last day that one could get away without wearing a jacket of some sort outside. Especially for those situated to the southern climate like Alfred. Despite this, he stubbornly went without a shirt then even as Tolik warned him it would be colder than he could have imagined this early in the year by nightfall. Matthew sighed and bundled an extra wrap under his arms for his brother before they left the room. 

When the younger prince asked where his betrothed was, he was met with a wave of a hand and an unconvincing, “He has business to attend to.” Alfred had slept through breakfast again, though no one was surprised. Even Matthew had barely made it to the morning meal, and he hadn’t even bothered trying to wake Alfred.

Lunch was a much more languid affair than any of the other days they had been there. Most of those who attended the party last night did not show up. Alfred had woken with a small headache, but when he drank a full cup of water it was eased considerably. He didn’t particularly want to eat anything, but Matthew and Tolik forced him to. He ate three slices of bread with jam on them and a few bites of the roast chicken before his insistence that he wasn’t hungry was taken seriously enough for them to leave them alone. Still, he waited until they finished eating before they discussed their plans. 

“Katyusha offered to take us on another trail ride today,” Matthew offered. 

“Not two days in a row, little one. My ass is sore.” Alfred snickered as Tolik huffed. 

Matthew thought for a moment before trying again. “I wouldn’t mind spending another day in the library. There was one book that—” He cut himself off once he saw the scowl blossoming on Alfred’s face. “What then, dear brother, do you want to do?” 

Alfred shrugged. “I was going to see if Ivan would take me to another one of the gardens, though that doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen today.” 

“I could take you if you wanted,” Tolik suggested. Alfred looked away and shrugged again, and Tolik quickly understood why exactly the answer was no when faced with his bodyguard’s company. “What if we went to go see the dogs?” Immediately Alfred’s head snapped back up and his grin was easy enough to interpret. 

“I didn’t know you had dogs.” 

“Yes, a lot of them actually. They are all for hunting or travel, but they are playful all the same.” The burly man stood, with the two younger following suit. On their way to the kennel, Alfred once again asked where Ivan was. Once again, Tolik evaded the question. Alfred shot back with an inquiry was to when he would be done. “Before dinner most likely, though do not be disappointed if you do not see him there.” Alfred sighed at that. His expression further soured when Matthew announced that he was going to the library instead of accompanying them. He sulked for a few moments before he could hear the tell-tale sounds of barking, and he increased his pace to walk in front of Tolik. He didn’t bother to tell the prince to slow down, as there was no danger there. 

Alfred looked to his guard for permission, and Tolik motioned for him to continue. He pulled open the door to the kennel and gasped gently, hands flying to his mouth. Tolik caught up to him and chuckled at his reaction. 

Immediately four of the dogs that were unleashed bounded towards him, teeth bared in show. However once Alfred began cooing to them, they jumped on him and licked his face, his hands, anything they could get to. He fell to his knees and let them clamber over him. They were very furry dogs, and within moments his black silks were covered with their loose white pelt. Tolik leaned against the doorway, patting the occasional stray on the head when they wandered over to him. They knew him, sure, but Alfred was new and had boundless energy that matched their own. He wrapped one arm around one of the pups, and set about taking off his jewelry, giggling while they sniffed at his neck. 

“Can you hold it? I don’t want them to get caught in my necklaces or something.” Tolik stumbled over quickly and held out his hands while Alfred placed the gold in his palms. He put them in his pockets, then carefully removed the circlet from Alfred’s hair. “Thanks,” he said, and turned his attention right back to the dogs. 

Tolik close the door behind him, and went around unchaining some of the other dogs who were still yapping their displeasure. 

Soon Alfred was covered in them, shrieking wildly amidst his laughter. There was one old mutt that was now never used for any hunting team or any such matter. Tolik plunked down next to him, as he was unable to even make the journey to the blonde prince to be loved on. He stroked the dog even as he heaved, and the old boy managed to wag his tail for a few moments before giving up. 

It didn’t take long before Alfred realized that there was a dog he hadn’t kissed a thousand times yet, and when he jogged over to Tolik, so too did at least ten other dogs. Alfred laid on his stomach in front of the elderly Valentin, remarkably calm. He stared at him and reached out one hand before resting it between Valentin’s ears. At the slightest raise of the dog’s head, Alfred began scratching around his face and neck. The other dogs settled around him, or ran off to play. They stayed like this for a while before Tolik shared new information. “There is a pregnant dog around here, in the back shed. She is very grouchy and will have babies soon, but she will probably like you just fine.” Alfred hummed softly and took a few more seconds to scoot forward and kiss Valentin on the nose before slowly making his way up. Valentin tried to follow, but Alfred crouched down and softly whispered for him to lay back down. He listened, and Alfred righted himself with an over-dramatic groan of pain. He followed Tolik out the back door of the shed, and promised the rest of his new friends that he would be back soon before closing the door behind himself. The shed was about twenty feet off from the main building, and Alfred entered first. 

Inside was the same breed of husky that all but Valentin had been before, and Alfred lowered himself to avoid frightening her. She didn’t do much else other than regard him warily, but soon enough lost interest and resituated her swollen belly in the hay. Once Tolik appeared she began to growl, and he ducked back outside the shed. Alfred emerged a few minutes later, large smile on his face. 

“She let me pet her stomach,” he reported and strolled back over to the main barn. Tolik shut the shed door before following him. 

They spent another long while playing with the dogs in there, despite Alfred chiding him for not having any other toys besides a few bones scattered about. Tolik held up his hands in surrender to placate him, and promised that he would do his best to make sure the dog handlers knew of their “gross incompetence.” 

“I did not know you knew so much about canines, little one.” 

Alfred shrugged and narrowly avoided being headbutted by a particularly disobedient younger dog. “Matthew and I had a few growing up. Two died when I was about eight or nine—old age.” He ruffled the cheeks of another dog before spitting out a hair. “Then the last one had to be given away. She had a disease only one man outside the city limits could treat. She should still be fairly young, but I guess I won’t get to see much of her anymore.” He trailed off and his pettings slowed as he slumped against the wall. 

“Well you are doing very well with them.” Alfred nodded. “Unfortunately though I cannot suggest that we give them three treats a day to the handlers. They are supposed to be hunting dogs, not fat and spoiled ones.” Alfred’s lips quirked up. 

After another hour or so, Tolik stood from the spot on the floor he was occupying, leaning over to give Valentin one last rub before they departed. Alfred whined, holding out his arms so that Tolik would pull him up. He did so, letting the prince do a little hop once he was on his feet. They headed out, Alfred turning around and telling each dog goodbye and that he loved them. 

Once outside, Tolik sniffed the air, then closer to Alfred and crinkled his nose in disgust. 

“You smell like mongrel.” 

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” he pouted as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

“It is. Take a bath before dinner, and you should probably change clothes as well.” Alfred looked down at himself then and cried out. 

“This was one of my favorite outfits!” He looked back up at Tolik in dismay, and the older man laughed. 

He clapped Alfred on the back a little rougher than intended, spurring the boy forward a few steps. He didn’t complain though, and it did manage to knock at least a little bit of the fur off. He didn’t mention that to him. “I can find someone to wash it, it will be fine.” 

Alfred sucked in a breath to reply, but as soon as he opened his mouth he shut it once more. Tolik raised a brow but Alfred seemed content to not speak what he was going to. 

“What is it?” Alfred shook his head. Tolik prodded him—this time much more gently—with his elbow. “Tell me.” 

Instead of replying right away, he continued walking for a few beats. Tolik was about to prod him again, but he piped up. “I just wanted Ivan to see how I looked today. That’s all.” It was a very flattering outfit, with the sleeves still leaving a long strip of skin from his bicep to his wrist exposed, connecting with a twist and looping around his middle finger. The rest of his top revealed his collarbone, but covered his pecks and ribs, and the back of it reached until an inch or two above his pant line. The pants were loose fitted, and hugged his hips, and for once the material was not opaque. Combined with the contrast of his gold jewelry, he looked exceedingly lovely that day. 

Tolik smiled at him softly. “We will find you something else tonight. I will get your outfit washed and back to you as soon as I can, and then you can impress him, yes?” Still, Alfred looked sullen. “You are beautiful enough that it matters not what you wear, I am sure Ivan knows this.” Alfred let out a snort and grinned up at his guard. 

“Thank you.” Tolik said nothing, simply walked beside him as they made their way back to the castle. “Can you uh…Can you sit in the bath house with us?” 

He knew without asking that he didn’t want a repeat of what had happened just a couple days prior. 

“Yes. Though, have you told Ivan of what happened before yet?” 

“I...Have not. No.” Alfred didn’t wait for an answer as he went ahead yet again, despite Tolik’s pace a near jog to attempt to keep up. He was a man built for strength, not speed. Even Alfred was pumping his legs in an exaggerated walk, and skidded past the library before poking his head in the doorway. Tolik nearly bumped into him from behind. 

Matthew was inside, formerly reading a book. Now his attention was turned upwards to his brother, one eyebrow raised skeptically. “Do you want to go take a bath?” Alfred asked. 

“I took one earlier.” The younger quietly whispered  _ oh  _ and Matthew rectified, “But I can come sit with you.” Alfred shrugged. 

“It’s fine.” They argued playfully as Tolik chuckled along with them. Eventually Alfred was able to convince his brother that he would be alright without him, and Matthew promised that he would be in their room when he returned. Alfred whirled around and headed off towards the bath house, glancing back to make sure that Tolik was following him. When they reached the entrance before the changing room, Tolik carefully pushed Alfred behind him as he went in first. He checked to make sure that the man who had harassed the two princes was nowhere in sight. No one was there at all in fact, and Tolik called for him. 

Alfred began to srip his clothes off, sneezing twice when the air around him was filled with the dander from the dogs. Tolik peeled off his shirt, and Alfred looked at him questioningly. “What? You thought I was not filthy too?” Alfred smirked. 

Confident enough for sarcasm, he replied, “Oh no, you definitely smelled like it.” 

Tolik gasped in mock indignation. “Were you not a prince, and the one who iI was sworn to protect, I would challenge you to a fight.” 

He snorted and removed his pants. “And you would win.” 

“I would.” 

They bundled their clothes in two separate piles, setting them in a little cubby for each. Tolik’s pockets were still filled with Alfred’s jewelry, but he was not worried about anyone taking it. 

The inhabitants of the royal palace knew what the punishment was for theft. 

Alfred hurried into the water, Tolik following behind him. He made sure to grab the bottles of soap that they would need, as Alfred tended to never remember to do so himself. He sank slowly into the pool as Alfred relaxed against the stones and sighed deeply. Tolik set the soaps behind them and sank deep enough that everything below his chest was soaked. He set his arms against the lip of the pool, his reach long enough that he could rap his fist gently against the back of Alfred’s head. The blonde tilted his head back to rest against Tolik’s hand. He ran his fingers through Alfred’s hair for a few moments before Alfred sat back up and grabbed one of the soaps for his locks. 

Neither of them said anything for a long time, choosing instead to focus on cleaning themselves. 

The silence lasted until Alfred quietly mumbled, “Do you think that that man will find Matthew and I? We’re right across the hall and…” He stopped himself there. 

“No, little one. You do not need to worry about him, or anyone else. He will not find you two. Do you want to switch rooms? We can relocate you if that is what you wish.” 

He shook his head after thinking for a moment. “No, we’ll be fine. You’ll be there right?” Tolik nodded. They slipped into a comfortable quiet again and Alfred dunked his head below the water and scrubbed until his hair was free of the suds. He resurfaced and took a deep breath of air. He pushed it off his forehead and leaned back one more. “Do I really need to tell Ivan about that man?” 

Tolik sighed. “I suppose that you do not need to tell him. However there should be no secrets between you. Should he find out from someone else, the results might not be good. He should know that you are someone of interest to many men who will try and pursue you, and he needs to be prepared for it. He will want to keep you safe after you marry. to I will not tell him if you order me not to, but if it is easier for you I will not.” 

“How do you think he will take it?” 

Alfred wanted an honest answer, and an honest answer he gave. “I do not know. My prediction is that he will not be happy, that I can assure you. If he raises his voice it is not because he is angry with you. Don’t hold that against him.” 

This time when neither spoke, it lasted. They left the water and dried off. Tolik covered him with his jacket—the huge thing on Alfred’s much smaller body took up nearly all of his free skin. They walked across the hall and once they entered, Alfred shed off the coat. Matthew leapt from the bed and started to help him find another set of clothes for dinner. Tolik turned to give him his privacy, and after he announced that he set Alfred’s jewelry on the dresser, he was going to find a launderer. The boys acknowledged him and Alfred decided on a pretty purple long-sleeved tunic that left enough of his chest expose for him to find it tolerable. After another short while they found his pair of black leggings. He decided to wrap Ivan’s scarf around his waist in lieu of a belt. 

After he was dressed he flopped on the bed and Matthew crawled on after him. “Mattie?” 

His brother looked at him. “I’m tired.” 

“You woke up surprisingly early for having stayed up this late. I’m amazed you’re not still asleep.” Alfred shoved at him. 

“I want to skip dinner and sleep.” 

“Absolutely not.” 

“I won’t be hungry though.” 

His growling stomach betrayed him and he scowled at it. 

Matthew snickered, then his face turned serious. “What’s wrong, Al? You normally never skip a meal unless it’s breakfast.” Alfred sighed wearily. Matthew didn’t press him, knowing that Alfred would open up soon enough. It was hard for him to keep a secret from anyone about how he was feeling, much less Matthew. Much as the gods knew his older brother adored him, he was such an open book. 

Instead of saying anything right away, Alfred turned over to his side and pulled his legs closer to his chest. Matthew remained flat on his back and crossed one ankle over the other, letting his hands rest on his stomach. Neither of them spoke. Matthew was waiting for Alfred, and the younger was...Matthew could’ve sworn that he was asleep were it not for the fact Alfred kept opening his mouth to speak before clicking it shut once more, and the rigidness of his body. At last, Alfred broke his vow of silence. “Tolik brought up the bath incident again. And how I should tell Ivan. I don’t know what to do.” 

Despite him knowing that it wasn’t the response Alfred wanted, Matthew quietly replied, “I agree with him.” Alfred turned his head over his shoulder to look at him, betrayed expression on his face. “Listen, I know you do not want to. But it’s important that you’re as honest with him as you are me.” 

“But he’s  _ not  _ you.” 

“No, but pretty soon I won’t be here for you to confide in all the time. I wish that I were allowed to be, but for half a year I won’t see you at all. And it will be good for you to be able to talk about your feelings with everyone.” 

He needed to make his point, even though he could see Alfred trying to blink away a tear. He wiped at his eye and turned away from Matthew. “I don’t know how to tell him.” Matthew held out one hand, tapping Alfred’s wrist with it. The younger prince got the hint and took his hand. 

“After dinner, if you ask him to talk I’ll go with you. So if anything happens I’ll be there.” 

Alfred thought about it for a moment or two. “I should probably tell him alone. More...Personal I suppose.” He trailed off for a moment before repeating, “I don’t know.” 

“Just talk to him, you’ll know what to say when you say it. You’re good at that.” 

Another long while of them not talking before Alfred softly whispered, “Thank you.” He thought that it was funny that Matthew could never seem to stick up for himself, but whenever it came to Alfred he’d do anything for him. And Alfred would do the same for him any time. Not long after that they both napped until Tolik knocked on their door for dinner. Alfred was slow to wake as always, though he did not fight them off this time. Tolik plucked him out of the bed and set him on his feet, ignoring Alfred’s outcry. 

“We are late, little ones. Come.” The princes shoved on their shoes, and Alfred rushed over to snatch a couple bracelets and one necklace, taking hurried steps to keep up with his brother and his guard while they hurriedly made their ways to the grand hall. Alfred nearly tripped over his own feet a few times while concentrating on putting on his jewelry, but he managed to stay upright. He had just barely blinked the sleep out of his eyes before almost crashing into the doorway. He would have too if Matthew hadn’t grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the way just in time. Regaining his composure, Alfred fiddled with his sleeves to avoid any odd looks his way as crossed the room to his chair. 

True to Tolik’s grievances, they seemed to be the last to arrive. Alfred hadn’t paid much attention to his apologies as they walked, but now he could see how much he’d meant it. 

Ivan looked at him as he sat, smiling gently as Alfred grinned at him. “You almost missed the speech. Well,” he corrected, “you missed the part where they said they would delay it until you arrived.” 

Alfred had the grace to look embarrassed as Ivan chuckled. “I am so sorry. Matthew and Tolik were probably trying to rouse me for ages and I—” 

“No, I think that it was my fault.” Alfred gave him a quizzical look before he continued. “I needed Tolik’s assistance, and he had to sprint back over to your room to go get you two. For that I apologize.” 

“Assistance with what?” Alfred dared. 

He got no other answer than a tight-lipped smile before Vladimir began his opening words. All of it was the standard talk they had gotten nearly every other night they were here, but at the end was the reminder that the wedding was just three weeks away.  _ His  _ wedding was just three weeks away. He felt his breath escape him momentarily. The king continued on and Alfred slumped down in his chair. Dinner went on, with Alfred poking at his salad and shoving it roughly in his mouth. Ivan looked at him and cocked his head, and Alfred sighed before pulling himself back up again. 

Steaks with potatoes and carrots were brought out by the servants, and Alfred murmured his thanks. When Ivan did the same, more than one person snapped to him in surprise. He ignored the workers and shrugged at Alfred, taking his newly-filled wine glass and sipped it. 

“So,” Ivan started. 

“So?” Alfred echoed. 

“What did you do today?” 

Alfred drank some water to clear his mouth. “I wasn’t aware that there were dogs here. Why is that?” His smile was teasing enough to let Ivan know he wasn’t serious. 

“I am sorry. Had I known you liked them I would have mentioned the hounds sooner.” 

“Well, Tolik took me to see them. But,” Ivan raised his eyebrow at this. “Where were you? Tolik wouldn’t tell me.” 

He hummed. “What if I will not tell you?” Alfred pouted as Ivan laughed at him. “If you come with me after dinner I can show you.” Alfred agreed, promising himself that he would have his  _ discussion  _ with Ivan then. 

At the very least they were able to make conversation until dinner was over. Once they were dismissed, Alfred took to staying behind Ivan, greeting the usual people who were  _ so very delighted that he was here _ . There was one particular woman who stopped the blonde by grabbing his hands, and excitedly spoke to him in Niriktian. It took Ivan a few seconds to realize Alfred was no longer following him, and he turned back and firmly steered the woman away, replying to her in their native tongue. She waved to Alfred and, stunned, he waved back. Ivan placed his hand in the small of Alfred’s back and guided him out of the hall, towards his room once more. As soon as the loud chatter died down, Alfred turned to look up at the other man. “What was she saying?” 

“From what I could hear? Something about you being a gift from the gods. ‘Blessed tiding,’ I think.” 

“Really?” 

Ivan nodded, biting the inside of his cheek after to make sure he didn’t make any comment that could possibly offend him. They soon entered his chambers, and Alfred took the opportunity to sit on the bed when Ivan motioned for him to. Already impatient, Alfred fiddled with the end of his tunic while Ivan retreated into the bathhouse. 

He returned a moment later, empty-handed. “Close your eyes.” Alfred did as he was instructed. He could hear something scrape the ground before it was settled back down. He resisted the urge to peek, and after a moment Ivan told him that he could open his eyes once more. 

When he did he was met with possibly the most decorative and lavish suit he had ever seen. The jacket was placed on a mannequin, pants neatly pressed and laid to rest on a bar just underneath the dummy. The coat was white in color, golden frills stitched into it around the ends of the sleeves, buttons, and around the high neckline. Alfred stood to inspect it closer. The buttons themselves were the Niriktian crest carved into wood and painted in the country’s colors. The sleeves were fluffed out at the shoulders ever-so-slightly, though the rest of the sleeves appeared to be a more fitting size. The pants were simple, plain colored and only minute gold trimmings on the bottom. Tied loosely around the waist was a sash of the same color as the coat, though this time the golden stitches extended nearly entirely around it. At each end there were little garnets sewn in. Alfred let out a long breath and let his eyes flicker back up to Ivan. 

The man was gazing at him intently, mouth parted just a bit. There was an expression on his fact that Alfred couldn’t quite place before he seemed to shake himself out of it. “What do you think? They had it mostly finished before today but they needed me for the fittings and they took...Well, you know.” Alfred knew, thinking back to how he had wished Ivan was there to take him on another floral tour, or for him to have been there once Alfred met the pups. Oh well, they would have other days. 

“It’s beautiful, Ivan. Is this…Is this your wedding outfit?” Ivan looked almost sheepish. 

“Yes.” 

Alfred touched Ivan’s crossed arm and let his lips turn upwards. “You’re going to look so incredible.” 

With a small sigh Ivan replied, “But not even half as wonderful as you will.” Alfred barely had time to blush at the argument before the older man began to drag the mannequin away. He called out as he moved, “I was told not to let anyone see it, and not to take the covering off of it until the day of our wedding.” Alfred followed a step behind, curious to see what the prince’s bathhouse looked like. Just before he could peer inside, Ivan popped back out, large frame blocking his view. 

“Then why did you show me?” He giggled. 

“Because you’re…” Ivan stopped himself before he could continue that sentence. “Because I wanted you to see the reason I was kept away from you all day.” 

Alfred smiled up at him, let his eyelashes flutter for a second, took a half step closer, and abruptly turned around and walked back to the bed so that he could once more take his place upon in.  _ His place,  _ he thought, and his cheeks turned just the tiniest hint of pink. Ivan followed behind him, sitting on the side of the bed perpendicular to Alfred. He leaned back on an elbow so that he could keep the older man in his line of sights. 

“I’m supposed to be fitted for my outfit in two days.”

Ivan snorted, “If it is anything like mine was, you will be lucky to ever get out of there.” Alfred grimaced. 

“They’re that bad?” 

“No, they are damned brilliant. Just perhaps too much so. Everything has to be perfect right then and there, and if you move the slightest inch they will prick you with a needle.” At Alfred’s horrified look, Ivan amended, “though that might have been just me. Sasha, Misha and Zach have tailored all of my formal outfits since I was a baby. They are not overly fond of me.” Still, Alfred did not look calmed. “They will love you. You are sweet and treat people kindly.” 

“I think you are nice.” Ivan looked at him to confirm that yes, Alfred was serious, before he laughed. Alfred didn’t say anything after that, only looked at his hands. After Ivan managed to control himself, he took a minute to breathe. 

“Do you want to know something funny?” Alfred’s eyes snapped back up to his. “You were supposed to be married to Natalya. My parents first wrote yours, knowing they had two sons. Matthew and Yekaterina were both off-limits. There was no way either of our families could give up the heirs to the throne for so long a time in either country.” The blonde nodded along as he spoke, keeping his comments to himself until after the story was over. My parents do not know that she favors women, and they did not know that you favor men.” 

This time Alfred interjected. “Should I know this about her then?” 

Ivan shook his head. “Natalya does not care if anyone else knows. She is not secret about it, though she does not bother explaining it to everyone. The only reason our mother and father do not know is because they are so uninvolved with our lives.” 

“I’m sorry,” Alfred muttered, but Ivan impulsively reached out to touch Alfred’s cheek. 

“Do not be. It is no fault of your own, and we are all fine with it.” Alfred closed his eyes, minutely turning his head so that it pressed more into Ivan’s palm. When he reopened his eyes, Ivan retracted his hand, turning away. He coughed, and Alfred had to fight a laugh. “A-anyway,” his stutter was ended with another clearing of his throat and he continued. “Had your parents not responded so quickly, asking about my sexuality, you could have been thrown to her.” Alfred shuddered dramatically. 

“I get the feeling that she would try to murder me.” 

“Hm. Maybe. It certainly is a possibility with her, though she most likely would have ignored you for the rest of your lives. She only seems to care when someone poses a threat to my time with her. You are that threat.” 

Alfred let out a nervous snort. “I don’t know whether to be afraid or flattered.” 

“Flattered, definitely. It means that I enjoy your company.” 

Gods, what had gotten  _ into  _ Ivan today? Flirting Alfred was good at, but the sudden switch from their nearly awkward courtship dance to the heated gaze Ivan was giving him now was enough to throw him off. 

“Was there another reason you keep inviting me to your room?” 

Ivan grinned at him, though he did not answer. Alfred shifted himself so that he was closer, twisting so that he leaned back on both of his elbows. He hated that he couldn’t tell if the thicker tunic was making him more heated, or if that was simply excitement. He’d been waiting for when Ivan would kiss him. Pining for it, perhaps not. But he was intensely curious all of a sudden for what it would be like. He licked his lips, hoping the other man would take the hint, and oh how he did. 

Ivan rolled over, keeping his body to one side of Alfred, using one arm to prop himself up. Their faces were so close, and Alfred’s heart beat increased. He prayed that Ivan could not hear it. Ivan looked down at him, violet eyes boring into his. 

They met halfway, lips brushing against the other’s once, then again and again. Alfred exhaled softly, and Ivan navigated his free hand to cup Alfred’s cheek once more. Alfred’s own fingers found a rest in Ivan’s collar, not twisting in the material, but certainly holding on with a purpose. They kissed for a few moments, before Alfred opened his mouth to try and deliver some air back to his lungs. Ivan however had other plans. When he felt the older prince’s tongue enter his mouth, he moaned softly, letting go of Ivan’s shirt with one hand to wrap it around the other’s neck. Ivan in turn released his cheek and grabbed onto his hair. Immediately Alfred broke the kiss and tilted his head back. In that moment he would have let Ivan do anything to him. 

Infuriatingly though, all the Niriktian did was place a single kiss to his neck and separated them entirely. Alfred tried to lift his head to follow him, slowly blinked his eyes open. He was  breathing heavily, and he found himself desperate for more. Ivan sat up, but Alfred remained lying for a few more moments. 

As he finally sat up and rotated so that he could fully face Ivan he asked, “Why did you kiss me?” He certainly wasn’t complaining. He put his hands behind him so that he could lean back slightly, taking care to roll his shoulders so that his chest was pushed out. He waited for an answer as he dragged his bottom lip across his teeth slowly, still hoping for another kiss. Unfortunately though, he did not have to wait long for his answer. 

“I have been wanting to for some time now. You don’t help matters any, dressed as unbelievably—” He stopped himself for a second, but the way his gaze was concentrated on Alfred’s chest, on the way the tunic had fallen open enough to expose one nipple and much of his abdomen, and Alfred could guess how he wanted to finish his sentence. “Dressed as you are.” 

Still, Alfred slyly replied, “Everyone in my country that’s my age dresses like this. Would you fawn over them as well?” 

“Matthew doesn’t.” 

To that Alfred had no quick retort, so he simply hummed. “Matthew also does not look as...beautiful as you do, no offense meant towards him.” Alfred looked away, though he could not hide the very pleased smile on his face. 

“If you’re only trying to compliment me so that you can have your way with me—”

Immediately Ivan’s demeanor shifted. “I am not, I assure you, I just—” when he saw the grin that was still present on Alfred’s face, he stopped. 

“Relax. I like it. I know I’m pretty but it never hurts when someone else tells me it.” Ivan groaned, but he took a mental note of Alfred’s reaction to his forwardness. Alfred’s smile fell, and he sighed softly. 

“What is wrong?” 

Alfred tried to wave him off, and yet Ivan pressed. “I’m just a little hungry I suppose.” 

Baffled, Ivan said, “Dinner was only an hour or so ago.” Alfred rolled his head back and spoke to the ceiling. 

“I know. But back in Cattingstun we have light meals, and multiple snacks through the day.” He rested his cheek on his shoulder and looked up at Ivan. “You don’t have to worry about it though, I will get used to it here.” 

“I can find something now for you if you would like.” Alfred shook his head. 

“No, no it’s alright. But…” Well, here it came. Unlike what Matthew had said to him earlier, Alfred did not feel like the proper words were coming to him. Ivan looked at him expectantly, and Alfred’s brain refused to cooperate. “I want us to be...Honest with each other.” 

He paused for a long enough moment that Ivan nodded. “I want the same thing.” 

Turning his head to concentrate on just how interesting he found the furs underneath his hand to be, Alfred mumbled, “So there’s something that I want to tell you.” 

This sure got Ivan’s attention if he hadn’t before. Ivan remained quiet, unwilling to push Alfred into secrecy if he bombarded him with questions. “A few days ago, Matthew and I were bathing and...Well, the short of it is that he  _ wanted  _ Matthew and me. If Tolik wasn’t there to stop him, I don’t know what he would have done and I couldn’t even  _ understand  _ him, Ivan. I had no idea what was going on and Mattie’s not good at fighting, and he was just so big, and-and,” Alfred stopped to catch his breath, and to look at Ivan’s reaction. 

What he saw quite nearly made his heart seize. Ivan’s face was perfectly blank, but in his eyes held a fury that Alfred was almost afraid to see. He cast his gaze to the side once more. “Tolik took care of it though, and he says we’ll be safe!” 

“Do you know his name?” 

“Huh?” 

“Do you know his name.” This time it was more of a command. 

“N-no. Ivan, we’re alright though, and Tolik told us that he wouldn’t bother us again.” 

“You said this happened a few days ago, why did you not tell me?  _ I  _ could have dealt with this, not Tolik. I would have killed him if you so desired! Alfred,” he stopped himself then. He hadn’t noticed how much his volume was rising, and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was yell at Alfred and scare him. Instead he inhaled through his nose and when he spoke again it was at a much more normal tone. “Alfred, why did you not tell me sooner?” 

Defeated, Alfred said, “I was worried about how you would react. I was afraid you’d be mad at me for not...I don’t know…” 

All the anger that had been in Ivan’s body vanished, and he risked settling his hand back on Alfred’s cheek—just as he had earlier. “Alfred, look at me.” He did so. “I would not be mad at you. I am not mad at you now. I’m.” He let out a bark of a laugh. “I’m fucking pissed at the man who made you so uncomfortable. And do not think I would not be infuriated if it was just Matthew who had suffered. But if anyone treats you like this in the future, let me know. Please.” 

The tiniest hint of a smile worked its way to Alfred’s mouth once more, and he whispered out, “Alright.” 

Ivan’s hand went to grip his chin and he pulled Alfred forward to kiss him again, softer than he had before. Alfred had no doubts that it wouldn’t last long, and he was right. But while Ivan was there so close to him, he lost himself in it for as long as he was allowed. When Ivan pulled away, he trailed his thumb so that it pulled at Alfred’s lip slightly. The way the blonde’s eyes were lidded made him want nothing more than to dive back in, to steal any air that Alfred had within him, to have him moaning into his mouth like he had when they first kissed. But he refrained. 

He slid himself off the bed, and Alfred’s dazed expression turned into one of confusion. “Come on, I will get you something to eat. 

Alfred shook his head, but at Ivan’s insistence, he stood up to follow him. They made their way to the kitchens, and Alfred was given an apple and some leftover potatoes from dinner. Ivan plucked a few grapes into his mouth even though he wasn’t hungry. He simply didn’t want Alfred to feel odd while eating alone. They talked for a little while after Ivan remembered to ask him about the dogs, and Ivan simply watched and listened as Alfred sat on a counter and went on about his day. Ivan found that he didn’t mind even when Alfred was talking about something so trivial. When they were done, Ivan walked him back to his room. It was beginning to get late, and Ivan didn’t want to see if somehow he could find a way to ruin the time he and Alfred had had that night. The door was open, and Matthew and Tolik waited inside the room. The older prince sat on the bed, reading. Tolik was posted at the desk, writing a letter or something of the sort. When they entered, both men looked up and Matthew at the very least looked relieved. 

Tolik winked at Ivan once he got his eye, and Ivan glared at him. 

While he had joined his brother on the bed, Alfred turned to Ivan and asked, “Do you want to stay for a little while? You can, if you want.” 

Oh he wanted to. But he didn’t want to do so while Alfred’s brother, and the man who had very well nearly raised him was in there. After their heated making out earlier, Ivan didn’t know if he could stand to keep his hands off him until he had cooled himself off. 

So instead, he shook his head, smiling at the way that Alfred seemed disappointed. “We both need to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast though?” 

Matthew snorted. “Probably not.” Alfred elbowed him and Matthew snickered. 

“I’ll try my best,” Alfred assured him. Ivan retreated to the doorway before telling all of them good night. They each responded, and when Ivan walked back to his room he felt an elation that he hadn’t felt in quite some time.

 

\----------------

 

It was no surprise to him when he showed up the next morning and Alfred was still buried underneath the covers while Matthew and Tolik offered him little incentives if he simply sat up. Ivan leaned against the wall inside their room until Matthew looked up at him and mouthed  _ help.  _ Ivan nodded and crossed the room, walking around the bed to come to Alfred’s spot furthest from the door. He knelt beside him and looked at his sleeping face for a beat. 

“Alfred,” he tried. No response. “Alfred it is me. You promised me you’d at least attempt to wake up in the morning.” Alfred’s eyes cracked open just the tiniest bit. Ivan could work with that. Ivan tugged at his hair lightly, then patted his cheek. Soon Alfred’s eyes were slowly opening, and he covered his mouth with a hand to yawn. 

“Ivan?” 

“Mhm. Are you going to wake up?” 

Though his face was half-pressed into the pillows, he nodded. “Are you going to get up?” Alfred nodded again. Within moments Ivan had him sitting up and Tolik whistled. 

“You are good at that.” 

He shrugged in response, retreating from the bed so that Matthew could get his brother dressed. Breakfast passed quickly, and Ivan could not get the soft image of Alfred rising from unconsciousness at Ivan’s words out of his head. While Tolik and Matthew discussed what they would do that day, Alfred smiled at Ivan shyly. Ivan could feel a lump in his throat that was not there prior, and he returned the gesture. He coughed once, and immediately the older Stunnish prince and Tolik turned to him. “If it is alright, could I borrow Alfred for the day?” Alfred looked at his brother, eyebrows raised. 

Matthew replied slowly. “That is fine I guess. If he wants to.” He stressed the last part, but already Alfred was nodding. Matthew announced that he was going to the library, and Tolik said that he was finally going to have some time to ‘relax and concentrate on his hobbies.’ Ivan didn’t know what he meant by that, but he was too busy noticing the way Alfred was practically bouncing in his seat to ask. 

As soon as the other two were gone, Alfred blurted, “Can we go to another garden? I wanted to go yesterday, but you weren’t here. I mean, we don’t have to but.” He shrugged. 

“Yes, that sounds nice. There’s four that you have not seen, though I do not suppose you have any idea which one you want to go to.” 

Alfred shook his head. 

“Pick a number between one and four. That will be the one I take you to.” 

Nearly before Ivan finished his sentence, Alfred had already answered with, “Three.” Ivan hadn’t even had time to number each of the gardens in his head, so he decided on the small maze of bushes that had been groomed recently. It wasn’t anything terribly special in terms of beauty, but the walk through the secluded labyrinth seemed nice. He should probably confirm with Alfred before he took him to a place where he could easily get lost. “How are you with mazes?” 

“Terrible,” Alfred told him honestly. “But, you’ll be there right?” Ivan nodded. “Then it’ll be fine. I didn’t know your palace had a maze though.” 

“It is not a very large one,” Ivan admitted. Should only take us until lunch to get all the way through it. 

“Then I am definitely in.” 

Ivan said that he needed to change first, unwilling to dirty his clothes any on their adventure. It hadn’t rained recently, so the grounds would be perfectly dry. They moved quickly, and once outside his chambers, Ivan turned to face Alfred. He was wearing the same outfits he always wore. Which is to say, clothes that would neither keep him warm nor clothes that Ivan could imagine he’d fancy being dirtied or damaged. 

“Alfred, do you want to change?” 

He looked up at him self-consciously. “I don’t have any other outfits for this season that are unlike this one.” 

“Do you have any outfits that you could afford to get messy at all?” 

It took a long while for Alfred to admit, “No.” 

Ivan laughed, and promised Alfred he would change quickly, then look through his clothes for something that would fit Alfred for the day. He left Alfred outside his door, and that was when Natalya decided to make her appearance. 

The moment she saw Alfred she sneered in disgust. “What you doing here?” Her Stunnish was harsh, unskilled. Her accent was nearly too thick to make out, and it took Alfred a second to figure out just what she had said. “ _ Mudak. Ya skazal, chto vy zdes'? _ ” Alfred was bewildered, and he knew that his face betrayed that. “ _ Ostavlyat'! _ ” 

“Natalya!” Another feminine voice yelled. He turned to see the oldest Braginski sister stalking towards them, an angry look that he had never seen on her before. “Pust' on odin! Chto ne tak s toboy—idti!” 

“On parazitiruyet—”

“UBIRAYSYA!” 

Alfred could never have imagined that Katyusha, as sweet as she always was to him, was capable of screaming like that. 

Once Natalya had scampered away, Katyusha sighed heavily and shook her arms out. “That girl is such a brat. No manners. I am sorry for her.” Alfred forced a smile onto his face. 

“It’s fine,” he assured her. Though he had a feeling that if she hadn’t shown up when she had, it very well might not have been. Ivan had reappeared after the commotion, small bundle of clothes tucked under one arm. He had a small leather bag that rested on one shoulder and the strap went across his hip to let the contents of the pack rest on his hip.

“Yekaterina? That was you?” 

She huffed. “I have been doing my best to make sure Alfred’s and Natalya’s  paths did not cross, but she escaped me today.” She turned to Alfred again and asked, “How are you?” She seemed back to her usual self, and for that he was grateful. 

Just as he responded, “Fine,” Ivan interjected. 

“Natasha found him? What did she say?” Ivan in a stark contrast to his elder sister was incredibly on-edge. Katyusha looked to Alfred, but he simply shook his head. “He does not speak Niriktian.” She looked surprised at that. 

“But Matthew does.” 

Alfred scowled. “I am not Matthew.” 

“Oh. No, you are right, I am sorry. Natalya does not speak much Stunnish either I suppose.” 

Ivan shifted from one foot to the other. “Sister? Did you hear anything that she said?” He was using that sweet-sounding voice that meant he was fast approaching enragement. Alfred didn’t quite know the magnitude of Ivan’s anger, but he still picked up on some of his feelings. 

Quickly, Katyusha stumbled with, “I did not hear much of anything, really. I only heard her say one thing before I told her to leave.” She didn’t have to be prodded with a,  _ heard  _ what,  _ Yekaterina,  _ before she added, “It was not—um—pleasant?” She tried to leave it at that, but with the way Ivan was quickly growing impatient, she grimaced. “I heard her call him ‘vermin.’”

“ _ Suka. _ ” Alfred didn’t know what that meant either, but he garnered that it wasn’t a particularly fond nickname. 

Slowly, he moved to take the clothes from Ivan’s arm, smiling gently up at him when Ivan turned his head down. “I’m going to change now, then we can go?” 

“Are you alright?” 

He was almost take aback by the question. “Of course. She didn’t touch me or anything, and I didn’t understand what she was saying anyway. I don’t think it was anything like…”  _ Like what the other man had said  _ was implied, and Ivan relinquished the cloth items, leaning against the door when Alfred shut it behind him. 

Katyusha switched back to Niriktian as she always did when one of the visiting royal family were not present. “Where are you two going?” It was typical nosey sister type of behavior, yet Ivan wanted no part of it. He ignored her for a moment until she elbowed his side.

“It’s none of your business.” 

She elbowed him again, this time harder. “Come onnnn,” she whined. “It’s not like I’m going to tell anyone where you are. Much less Natalya.” 

Ivan shh’d her. “Careful. If you say her name three times she’ll appear.” Katyusha snickered into her hand. Still, Ivan looked around them and dropped his voice. “We’re going to the maze. 

“Oo, can I come?” At his look, she laughed and waved her hand. “Relax, I was just kidding.” Ivan could hear movement from the other side of the door, and he peeled himself off the wood to take a couple strides away from the door. Katyusha had never known Ivan to be one to stand guard in front of a door. That was mostly Tolik’s job. She smiled to herself, and reached out to touch his arm. “Listen, Ivan.” His attention was turned back to her as soon as she said his name. “I really am happy for you that things seem to be going well with him. And I hope you have fun today.” He waited for a  _ ‘but,’  _ but there was nothing. She simply dropped her arm and began to walk away. 

Soon after Alfred opened the door to Ivan’s room and stepped out. 

What he was wearing wasn’t grandiose by any means. A simple pale blue shirt that was much too large for him. He had tucked it into the smallest pair of pants that Ivan owned, probably received several years ago. They looked fashionably baggy, or at least like something Alfred might normally wear were it not for the ugly brown color they were. He was wearing flats that day instead of his usual sandals thankfully. He was just shrugging on a cropped jacket that hadn’t fit Ivan since he was fourteen and pulled his necklaces from underneath the shirt. Ivan watched as Alfred rolled up the sleeves, and gods. He really could look good in anything. Little golden bangles jingled on his wrists, and one golden arm band resided on his forearm. He had the same scarf he wore every time Ivan saw him as a belt to keep the pants up, and there really was something that made Ivan’s heart pick up the pace when he realized that Alfred was wearing his clothes. He must have stared for a few moments too long, because Alfred let out a nervous chuckle and stepped forward. 

“I look like a disaster, I know.” 

The other man opened his mouth to refute, but he couldn’t quite do it. “No, you—I mean—you are fine. You  _ look  _ fine.”  _ Great job, Ivan. Absolutely nailed it.  _

Alfred regarded him for a moment before laughing. “Thank you I think.” Ivan nodded stiffly and tilted his head towards the direction they needed to go in. 

“Are you ready?” Alfred bobbed his head, and the walk to the hedge maze was a longer one than Alfred had anticipated. He didn’t complain, though he was worried about time. They came to a half outside the entrance to the maze, and Alfred looked up at Ivan. 

“Do you know how to get through it?” 

Ivan shrugged. “I know it a little bit. Enough so that we will not get completely lost.” 

“Well,” Alfred sighed, “that’s more than I know. Lead the way.” As soon as he did, Alfred gently grabbed his hand, leaving his grip loose in case Ivan would want to pull away. He didn’t even think about it before tightening his fingers, earning him a small giggle from behind him. They were silent the first few minutes, Ivan concentrating on the beginning twists and turns to get them as far as he could without guessing. He looked behind him occasionally, just to make sure that Alfred was doing alright. The first time he did so, Alfred has half-running to keep up with his pace. Guilt flooded through Ivan, and he feigned confusion of their surroundings to give Alfred a moment to catch his breath. After that Ivan made absolutely sure he was walking much slower than he normally did. His entire family—and most of those he associated himself with—had long legs. Whereas Alfred was not short, he was certainly a great deal smaller than Ivan. He’d keep that in mind for the future. 

Due to the decreased speed, Alfred was now able to walk side-by-side with Ivan, pressing up against his side a bit. Ivan welcomed the warmth that came with the motion, as well as the affection. Were he less trained in his facial expressions, he wouldn’t be able to keep a goofy smile from infecting his face. 

“How often do you come out here?” 

“Hm?” The question caught Ivan off guard. Alfred was about to repeat himself, but his question was simply a placeholder for buying more time to process. “Oh. I have not been out here for some time, but I used to come out here with Yekaterina and Natalya sometimes. I believe we completed the maze four or five times. That was when we were children though.” 

Alfred moved his head to indicate he was listening. After a beat, he started, “What exactly is Natayla’s problem with me? Katyusha said that she was trying to keep her away from me?” 

“Oh, well that is simple. She hates you.” The comment was so blunt that Alfred startled and stopped mid-step. 

“W-What? Why?!” 

“Because you exist? That tends to be her reason for most of her loathing. Though you specifically because we are getting married.” 

They resumed walking, and Alfred grumbled, “Why would she care? Matthew is protective too but he didn’t hate you because of  _ that. _ ” 

Ivan was surprised this time. “Matthew hates me?” 

“Well, no.” Alfred scratched his cheek with his free hand, and pushed his hair back. There was a little lock caught on his cartilage piercing, but before Ivan could manifest the courage to brush it away, Alfred distracted him. “He hated you because you were kind of a prick when we first met you.” Ivan winced. 

“I was trying very hard not to be.” 

Alfred laughed. “We know that now. It was just so scary to be here at first, and you didn’t help matters much.” 

That hurt Ivan, but he didn’t let it show. He understood that he had massively messed up the first few days that Alfred was there. He hadn’t considered how he felt at all, and was simply letting his own anger at the situation stew and come out at inappropriate times. He voiced none of this though. “I am sorry for that.” Alfred waved him off. 

“It’s fine, I get it. I’m a lot to handle, so everyone says. I’ll be surprised if you even still tolerate me by the time we say our vows.” 

“Why would you say that? It was not your fault I acted that way.” 

“No, it’s alright. I mean I get it, I’m annoying and don’t even speak your language and—” 

“Stop,” Ivan commanded roughly. Alfred blinked in shock. “I know...I know we haven’t known each other long. But every time I’m with you I...You are not annoying. And you will learn Niriktian, I said I would teach you so do not worry about it. But, Alfred, we are out here today because I wanted to spend time with you, and because I wanted to do what you wanted. I would have been around yesterday were it not for my other engagements.” The words of his tailors and the seamstress echoed in his head. They had been infuriatingly on-point in the advice they had given him, and he had promised he’d listen. And now here they were, Alfred’s eyes still wide and mouth still opened. 

Without warning, Alfred released his hand and pulled the V of Ivan’s shirt down towards him, bringing their lips together so hard that it almost would have hurt were it not for the fact that once again they were kissing. 

No one could say that Ivan’s reaction time was not impeccable, and within a second he was grasping Alfred’s waist with one hand, the other cradling the back of his head without pushing him forward. Alfred tried to step back, but the back of his heel caught on a root that had risen above ground. He fell, but not without taking Ivan with him, the large man letting out a shout as they did so. Since Ivan was still holding onto him, his trip down to the earth was soft, and he opened his mouth to apologize, but Ivan was already using the opportunity to kiss him again. Alfred went with it, loving the way Ivan’s hand was now fisted in his hair, and one thick leg was between his own. 

They didn’t stop for a long while. They didn’t stop until Alfred pulled away to breathe, and even then Ivan tucked his face into Alfred’s neck. He nipped at the tanned skin, licking over it enough to have Alfred moaning. His blue eyes were screwed shut, and little whimpers passed his lips as Ivan trailed down. Alfred rolled his hips up, a habit for him. 

Instead of having the effect he desired, Ivan retreated off of him yet again. He whined, refusing to believe just yet that their moment was over. Ivan chuckled, and helped him stand. He brushed a few leaves from Alfred’s hair, and cupped his face. He left one last peck on Alfred’s lips, and stepped away. “Later, I promise.” Alfred sighed and resigned himself to trying to will away the semi-hardness of his cock. It wasn’t too difficult as they had barely gotten started, but it was irritating nonetheless. 

“Ivan?” He tried. 

The larger man hummed in acknowledgement. “Why  _ does  _ Natalya care that we’re getting married?” Ivan sighed, knowing that this conversation would have come about at some point. 

“She is not entirely...Right.” 

His momentary silence was enough for Alfred to push, “What do you mean?” 

The were nearing a halfway point in the maze, and Ivan remembered the bag that had shifted halfway onto his ass. “Ever since she was a toddler she’s been obsessed with me. Always trying to follow me everywhere, disapproving of whoever I try and have relations with—sexual or no. At times she…” He didn’t know if he should be telling Alfred this. But they were going to be forced in union anyway, and there was nothing that Ivan could tell him that would change that fact. He hoped. “She tries to harm my friends, my lovers, even some of my old teachers.” Alfred didn’t look alarmed, but Ivan still tried to reassure him. “I will not let her touch you though. I’d kill her before that happened.” 

Alfred could have responded in numerous different ways, some of which would have broken Ivan’s heart. What he did say though was, “What is it with you and threatening death? Besides,” he continued, smiling softly. “I know you won’t let her her hurt me. Tolik promised me the same thing about her.” 

“Tolik told you?” Alfred lifted his shoulders and let them drop. 

“He mentioned that she’s not exactly easy to get along with. I’ll be here for you though, even when she’s bothering you.” Ivan didn’t have to words to tell him how he appreciated that sentiment, even if Alfred didn’t mean it. He had a feeling that he did though. 

Again they slipped into silence, though it was a comfortable one. They were no longer holding hands, but they still brushed against each other every so often. That was enough for then. “I brought something for you.” Ivan said, reaching into his bag. Alfred stopped and waited for him to pull it out, and when Ivan held out his offering he was not disappointed. 

It was only a sweet roll that he had wrapped in a clean cloth, and it had gotten the slightest bit smashed from their earlier romp. But still Alfred took it, thanking Ivan. He ate it quickly, offering little bites that he had ripped off to Ivan’s mouth. The other man took them, smiling each time. 

The maze took them another two hours to complete. After the midway point had been reached, Ivan didn’t remember where else to go. He let Alfred steer them around for a bit, which ended up being a mistake. They had to double back twice before Alfred sheepishly suggested that Ivan took over directions once again. It was past noon when they reached the exit, and lunch was still being served for another hour or so. They headed over, Alfred chatting about some book that he had been required to read about some old myths about labyrinths. There were a couple that Ivan had also read, a few that he had heard of, but several that he hadn’t. Somehow Alfred could make school topics seem interesting, and Ivan listened intently. They ate, and Ivan twisted in his seat so that he could rest one elbow on the table, his hand upon his head, and just watch as Alfred talked. 

The ‘later’ that Ivan had promised did not some that afternoon, nor that night. They found Matthew in the library, and eventually Tolik joined them. Alfred wanted a quick bath before dinner. Thankfully Tolik found them right before they left the library, and once educated on the Stunnish princes’ plans, he volunteered to wait outside the bath house, saving Ivan the infinitely more awkward offer to. 

“You can wait in our room if you want,” Alfred told him, ignoring Matthew’s look. 

“I—ah, sure.” Once in there he felt incredibly uncomfortable. He didn’t know whether he was allowed to sit on the bed or not, whether he was allowed to pick up some of the miscellaneous items on the floor, or read some of the books Matthew had stacked up on the barren bookshelf. In the end, he sat with his hands folded at the desk in the room. 

Alfred came back in, shirtless with a towel covering his pecs, and the pants Ivan had lent him slung low on his hips. Ivan swallowed thickly, and it was then that Alfred informed him that he could indeed have rested on the bed if he wanted to. Tolik kicked Ivan out of the desk chair, and he was made to wait outside so Alfred and Matthew could change. 

There was still some time yet before dinner started, and Ivan stood for a minute before Alfred invited him to sit on the mattress with him and his brother. Never before had Ivan heard Alfred talk so fast or that much within a day, but he wondered if it was because Alfred was becoming more comfortable with him. The thought left him just the slight bit lightheaded. Dinner passed uneventfully, but Ivan was able to make conversation with Alfred decently. It was a step in the right direction that they could now talk so easily. There was still the few unpleasant moments here and there where neither of them knew what to say, or how the other would react if they  _ did  _ say something. But this, Ivan amended, was nice. 

After dinner was over, Yekaterina called Ivan over, wanting his opinion on something or other. Alfred asked him to meet him in their room when he was done, and Ivan agreed. He knew that either Matthew or Tolik or both would be in there with him, but he couldn’t help but think of what might transpire were they alone. 

It turned out that his sister was impeccable at going on for twenty minutes on flowers that she thought should decorate the grand hall for the wedding alone, and even after that she wanted his opinion on what draperies should be there. Ivan sighed, not having an eye for any of these things. After the fourth, “I don’t care, you decide,” or “I don’t care, try asking Alfred or Matthew,” she finally released him. He headed back, forty minutes later than he would have liked to. 

He knocked on the door, and Matthew answered it. He motioned for him to follow, and Ivan was surprised, yet he did so. Tolik was scribbling on some papers at the desk, but Alfred was nowhere in sight. Still, he continued on after Matthew, right to the open window. Ivan opened his mouth to say something, but Matthew put a finger to his own lips. Ivan shut his mouth with a click. Matthew pointed at the ground outside the low window, and when Ivan peered out, he saw Alfred sleeping on a blanket. The jacket Ivan gave him covered his upper body, and he was curled to the side, one arm under his head as a pillow. 

Ivan exhaled slowly, and Matthew whispered, “He said he wanted to look at the stars while he waited for you. First night that it hasn’t been cloudy.” Ivan put one leg out the window, and turned back to the older brother. 

“I’ll bring him back inside in a little while.” 

Matthew looked curious, but left him to his own devices. Ivan made it all the way outside, and crept over to where Alfred was a few feet away. He knelt down on the blanket, maneuvering so that he lay on his back next to his betrothed. In truth, Ivan had never gone stargazing. It never much appealed to him, but suddenly now that he knew Alfred was interested in it…

Well, now he was suddenly just aching to make it a plan. 

He didn’t stay like that for long, only enough time to watch one lone cloud pass over the moon, and watch as a few stars twinkled. He had to admit, the sight was beautiful. He’s seen the night sky before, like anyone with a working pair of eyes had. But to stare into the cold darkness, and see that there was something out beyond their world was beautiful. 

Alfred stirred next to him, and Ivan watched out of the corner of his eye as he shuffled a little closer to the man’s heat.

Ivan knew that he had to bring Alfred back to his bed in just a little while. 

But really, what was the harm in staying out for just a few minutes longer? One lone star shot across the sky, and Ivan closed his eyes, quietly whispering his wish. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!TRANSLATIONS!!!
> 
> 1) asshole. What are you doing here?  
> 2) leave!  
> 3) let him alone! What is wrong with you—go!  
> 4) he’s vermin—  
> 5) GET AWAY!  
> 6) bitch
> 
> sorry! this has been done for a while but it took a little while for me to get it edited n stuff (totally my bad) haha. but! it's here now. the next chapter of boiling point is more than half done! that'll hopefully be up pretty soon too. you can find me on [tumblr](http://chainuser.tumblr.com/) or [twitter](https://twitter.com/maxalackin) for updates, ask me questions, or whatever you want! i love talkin to people about anything
> 
> thank you for reading and see u next time!


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